Shared Silence
by YvaineS
Summary: The Avengers won, and Loki was captured. Thor wants to take his estranged brother home – but it seems S.H.I.E.L.D. has other plans. Jane makes a rash decision and goes to Åsgard. But is it all she had hoped and expected? And what of Loki? Alternative ending to "The Avengers". Norse mythology, drama and moments of shared silence. LOKANE romance.
1. Prologue

**Full Summary:** The Avengers won, and Loki was captured. Thor wants to take his estranged brother home – but it seems S.H.I.E.L.D. has other plans. Jane makes a rash decision and goes to Åsgard – but is it all she had hoped and expected? And how will Loki be received by his family? Alternative ending to "Avengers". There will be Norse mythology, drama/battle and moments of shared silence. LOKANE romance. Loki/Jane, and a bit of Thor/Sif.

**Author's Notes: **This is my first Lokane fanfiction. I'm a hopeless shipper of Loki and Jane. It's my way of passing the time until "Thor 2: The Dark World" comes out. I grew up with Norse mythology and Loki was always my favourite Norse god. That did not change with the movies. I am taking some liberties with names and language, as I am from Norway, and some of the English names don't feel natural for me to use.  
As usual, I rely on music as my inspiration when I write. In this story, I'm mostly using songs and artists that TH has recommended on Twitter. I truly hope you will enjoy this story.  
_First posted September 2, 2012._

**The usual disclaimer:** They're not mine, I'm just playing with them. For free.

**Warnings:** Some angst, some violence.

**Music:** For this chapter "Quiet" by This Will Destroy You and the "Thor" soundtrack.

_If you like, please review!_

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**Prologue**

_Such a deep silence surrounds me, that I think I hear_  
_moonbeams striking on the windows._  
_In my chest, _  
_a strange voice is awakens_  
_and a song plays inside me _  
_a longing that is not mine._  
_- Lucian Blaga_

It had happened so fast, she barely had time to blink from the moment she saw the movement in the corner in her eye - far too close to her - to impact. She was supposed to have stayed hidden up on the small hill, out of sight, but somehow that part of their great plan had failed terribly. On the bright side, it didn't really hurt. Adrenaline and survival instincts kicked in, letting her only register a throbbing in her stomach and chest. She knew she was in serious trouble, but she didn't feel any fear, at least not yet. Because from the instant the long blade made contact with the soft flesh of her body and blood began to rush out of the wound, everything and everyone around her stopped moving. It was like the world was suspended in time. And then, movement came back, but slowly like fresh honey being poured from a glass. And she stopped feeling altogether - except for a detached sense of wonder and observation.

If anything else, a touch of sadness seeped into her being, at the exact same speed as her blood seeped from the gash in her belly and torso. Not that she could identify the sadness. Was it sadness over dying? Sadness over having failed? Or maybe sadness over the things unsaid and undone?

The most fascinating of it all was how her perception of time had slowed down and everything seemed to move in slow motion. Until that moment, Jane had thought the slow motion-effect was purely something Hollywood had made up as a cool effect in the movies. There was no way she could have imagined it being true. Because after all, death and war and fighting was not romantic or honourable. Being close to pacifism, she didn't believe in the glory of war. There is no glory in dying screaming and scared on a battlefield; that was what she had always told herself when watching those Hollywood movies about World War II and Vietnam. How she detested those depictions of the dark moments of human history – but now, she had the time to see the irony in feeling like she was in one of those movies.

Somehow, she was still standing in spite of having no feelings in her legs whatsoever. With something akin to calm, she half-registered the scenery in front of her. There was fog, creeping along the ground, with tufts stretching up and towards a brilliant golden sky reaching high, high up. Above the brilliant sunrise she saw the fading constellations of stars that she had grown to love almost as much as the ones she had been studying for years back home. Another morning was on the way. Suddenly grateful that she would still have a few more seconds of that view, she felt tears roll down her cheek. If she only ignored the fighting below, it was a stunningly beautiful view.

Whereas she had been freezing in her hiding place seconds before, she now felt warm - like she was emerged in hot water. It reminded her of the time she had gone to Mexico with some of her friends during spring break. They had drunk margaritas and lounged by and in the hotel pool for a week, and it had probably been the most relaxing week of her life, now that she looked back.

She wondered vaguely how it had come to this. Just a year ago, heck, a few months ago, she'd never imagined that she would be leaving life like this – and certainly not on a different world. She should be sad about ending her life somewhere unknown, and not back on her own planet, Earth, or Midgard as she had come to think of it. But in a way, being here felt right too. Her only regret would be that her friends - first and foremost her surrogate father Erik and her wonderfully outspoken intern, Darcy - wouldn't know that she was no more. Then again, someone would hopefully get the message across to them.

There was still chaos around and below her; shouting and screaming and clanging noises from weapons meeting with great force, but it had mercifully toned down to a hum – she couldn't make out the screaming anymore. That suited her just fine. She had never been fond of confrontations, especially of the more violent kind. But, she supposed, that was part of the deal when you where hanging out with warriors from a different world.

She realized that her vision was becoming blurred, and where there had been people – _well, people_? – fractions of a second earlier, there were only unrecognizable shapes now. _Wow I'm tired_, she thought as her knees gave in, and she sank down on the previously mossy ground. Now it was mostly mud, and probably blood. She would have preferred to be standing, but her body wasn't hers anymore, and she felt ever so tired. To sleep now suddenly felt like a blessing.

Then, through the dim, she heard her name being shouted out. It was an agonizing sound, full of despair and fear. "It's ok, I'm ok", she tried to call out, but it only came out as a whisper. She attempted to look ahead, and saw a dark and pale shape mixed with green and black come towards her. "Oh god I'm so sorry" she breathed. If there was anything about this particular moment she could change, it wouldn't be her fatal wound, or even the battle itself, or anything else. But his hurt, his loneliness. What wouldn't she give to see him happy and at ease. Those moments had been so few, far too few. And now she would be the cause of more hurt for him. She felt him close, more than she saw him. A strange, warm light had begun to creep into her vision and she could hardly make out anything of what was going on around her. But she'd recognize the scent of him anywhere, from worlds apart. He smelled like a cold winter night: like the northern lights, of pine trees and snow and crispy clear air.

"Jane, please Jane, please look at me!" His voice sounded muffled, like it was far away. She knew he was talking to her and that she ought to respond, but her lips felt numb, like she was sedated. "Loki… "she mumbled, with great effort. "I'm so sorry." And then she managed to force her eyes upwards and look into his clear green eyes. What she saw there, just past the fear and sorrow, past the anger and increasing panic – made her smile. _I knew it_, she thought, almost triumphantly.

And then everything went pitch black, and she saw and heard nothing more.

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**Reviews are the soul food for writers of any kind!**


	2. Chapter 1 Waiting for News

**Author's Notes: **The story begins. Here is chapter one for you! _First posted 11 September 2012._

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, and I'm just borrowing these characters for my own, non-profit amusement.

**Warnings: **Spoiler alert for those who haven't watched Thor or The Avengers! Coarse language (Darcy's fault not mine).

**Music:** "Real Heroes" by College and Electric Youth, "Spiegel im Spiegel" by Arvo Pärt and "Minnesota WI" by Bon Iver. Also, everything from the Thor soundtrack.

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**Chapter 1: Waiting for news**

I stay my haste, I make delays,  
For what avails this eager pace?  
I stand amid the eternal ways,  
And what is mine shall know my face.  
_- John Burroughs_

**Several months earlier:**

Jane Foster, the brilliant astrophysicist, was pacing around in the small room. It wasn't exactly a prison cell but it had already felt like a cage for some time, with its lack of windows and sunlight. Jane felt like she was at the edge of her rope. It wasn't entirely uncomfortable, but it wasn't stimulating either. She longed for something to happen, for something to do. While she had been here, she had briefly been allowed to observe some minor research projects, and assist in a couple of them. That in itself was good, but she felt she was being restrained – she'd always worked better on her own, being her own boss.

Worse still, she had been taken away from her dear Einstein-Rosen Bridge project. Surely enough, the possibility of finding a way to Thor through her research had been a part of her motivation – but knowing that it existed in itself was more than enough for her to keep occupied with the sometimes tedious research. And now she was pacing, without her material to keep her mind calm.

Her two companions regarded her wearily. They had just received the same news as her, but knew she had her reasons to be slightly more agitated than them. As it was, _they_ at least realized there wasn't anything they could do in any case.

"First, S.H.I.E.L.D. lock us up and say little more than it's for safety reasons, then they casually, _casually_, inform us that Thor is finally back on Earth but that I can't see him, _then_they say we're under attack by Loki, Thor's _brother_ who already did his best to kill us all over a year ago, and that he's gone on to pretty much demolish parts of New York City and kill hundreds of people before anyone manages to stop him! Meanwhile, we're stuck down here, with shitty food and limited access to basic things like natural daylight, and they tell me to **calm down**?!" She couldn't remember having ever been so angry and all her frustrations poured out of her, although not for the first time in the past couple of weeks.

"At least they stopped him now, right?" Erik shot in, before she could continue her tirade further.

He was sure she could keep it going, and it didn't do any good for any of them to keep fueling the anger and frustration they all felt at being left in the dark. Since his "run-in" with the infamous Loki about a month ago, he knew just too well how awful it was to lose control over his surroundings as well as his actions and choices. He had joined the two women just a few days ago - having been in the middle of the turmoil in New York - but he had trouble remembering much of his time under Loki's control. He had told them what he could, but there were still quite a few gaps to fill in for both him and the two women. Jane shot him a glance, but continued to pace relentlessly around the room.

"Oh yeah they stopped him alright, so why aren't we out of here already?" she hissed angrily, as if to herself.

"Jane, just…fine, don't calm down, but can you just sit down for a second?" Erik pleaded. He loved her like a daughter, but she could drive a rock crazy when she became agitated and on the defensive.

"Nononono, I'm not gonna sit down!" she said, gesturing as she spoke.

"I'm gonna think of something, or tell them something that will make them regret that they ever locked us up like this, and _then_, when I get my hands on Thor, not to mention Loki-the-bloody-God-of-Mischief, what a misplaced name by the way, he should be called the bloody Destroyer or something, _then_ I'm gonna…"

"HOLYSHITBALLSWILLYOUJUSTSHUT THEFUCKUPALREADY!"

Jane stopped abruptly, shocked into silence by Darcy's outburst. She slowly turned around to look at her intern and friend.

"Jane I love you, you know I do, but you are going to give me a nervous breakdown in about 5 seconds if you don't shut the fuck up, sit the fuck down, and for the love of the holy mother of all – stop saying the word 'then'!" Darcy leaned back against the wall with her hands in her hair.  
"If I hear it one more time, I swear to you, I am going to rip off my ears and shove them up your… -"

"Ok, Darcy, we got the point!" Erik interrupted, looking like he was on the verge of a breakdown himself.

Jane felt guilty then, he had been through so much lately and didn't need her angry ranting. "I'm sorry guys, I'm really sorry. I'm gonna be quiet now. Ok? Darce, please don't rip your ears off. .?" Jane said.  
She quickly walked over to the edge of the bed where Darcy was sitting and sat down.

"Well my ears are too good-looking to be anywhere else but on the sides of my head, so I suppose you get a free pass this time." Darcy muttered with a hint of a smile in her voice.

Jane looked at her incredulously – and then began to laugh. Sure, it was a laugh with an undertone of hysteria, but the tense atmosphere in the room eased up instantly. After a couple of seconds, Erik and Darcy joined in, and soon the sound of laughter was booming between the naked walls.

"I guess it could have been worse", Jane snorted in between fits of laughter. "I could have been here alone, without the two of you". She sat back up on the bed and sobered up a little. Her two companions followed suit.

"I know I drive you mad sometimes, and I am really sorry. I just want some answers, you know?" Jane muttered.

Darcy's face softened, and she put a hand on Jane's shoulder. "I know boss-lady, but we'll know when we know. It's bad enough to be stuck in here without us climbing on the walls too".

Erik looked thoughtful. "My bet is that S.H.I.E.L.D. aren't quite sure what's going on either, which is why the information from them is so limited " he said.

Jane made a sound of disbelief at that. "What? They have Coulson, that guy knows everything!"

"Yes, but there is a difference between what happened in Puente Antiguo and what's happened in New York. Not to mention that it sounded like an invasion of hostile aliens." Erik countered. "I doubt Coulson - no matter how good his intelligence skills are - can maintain a full overview of _that_."

Jane nodded absently. "I'm sure you're right, Erik. That doesn't stop me from being a little disappointed by how S.H.I.E.L.D. has handled this so far". She sighed heavily. "But patience is a virtue, right?"

"Normally I'd say that virtues are bullshit", Darcy mumbled, playing with a lock of her long dark hair. "But patience would be a good thing just about now."

As if heard by the gods themselves, just then, a beeping sound came from the door and it slid open. Agent Maria Hill walked in, looking pale and more serious than they'd ever seen her. Not that they had seen her much, just a couple of times when they first came to the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. She'd always been friendly though, in spite of the hardness that came with her professional appearance.

Jane bounced off the bed when Hill walked in, but managed to muster enough self-control to keep quiet and not rattle off with the hundreds of questions that were bouncing around in her head. It was all she could from keeping herself from jumping up and down.

"Alright Ms. Foster, Ms. Lewis and Mr. Selvig – First of all I have to offer you my deepest apologies for all the waiting. You _have_ been brought here as a safety precaution. However, we've been understaffed and it's a trying time for everyone involved. It was never our intention to keep you in the dark like this for so long." The agent looked at each of them as she spoke, her voice steady but a little rushed.

"Will you tell us what's going on?" Jane asked, straightening up and preparing to have to argue.

Hill looked at her, and tilted her head just a tiny bit to the side, as if considering how much Jane could handle. "All your questions will be answered soon, but I hope you understand that I can't tell you everything right now?" she asked.

"Fine", Jane said, "Just give us _something_; we've been going crazy here."

Hill took a deep breath and straightened a little. "Thor is ok, so are the rest of the Avengers. However, we've lost a lot of good people, Agent Coulson among them. Loki has been captured, and everyone is on the way to a secure location to be debriefed and discuss what should be done with the prisoner." Hill paused for a moment.

"I am here to inform you that you should get ready to be on your way as well. Director Fury would like to see you, Mr. Selvig, and Thor has requested to see you, Ms. Foster. Ms. Lewis, you are free to leave if you wish, although you may come with Ms. Foster and Mr. Selvig if you prefer that."

Darcy rolled her eyes. "I'm going with these two, no way I'm jumping off the bus right before it's getting exciting.", she replied dryly.

Jane had planned to say something, but realized she could do nothing but grin. Thor was ok, and she would be going to see him soon. Again, it made her feel guilty to feel happy considering the sinister news they had received about Coulson and probably a whole lot of other people.

Erik stood up and walked over to Hill. "I'll meet with Director Fury, but I don't want to go anywhere near Loki. Just so we're clear on that." His voice was cold, which Jane found disturbing. Erik was one of the warmest, most caring persons she'd ever known. His encounter with Loki had rattled him to the core, even though he tried to stay focused.

Hill considered him before replying. "I don't know the details of why Fury wants to see you, Selvig, but I'll make sure he knows of your request." She turned around and moved towards the door. "I suggest you pack up your things and get ready. I don't know for sure how long you have to wait, we want to make sure that everything is absolutely secure before bringing you in – there is no room for mo...mistakes." With that, she walked out the door and closed it, leaving the three wondering scientists behind her.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Two days later, they were finally on their way to what they assumed was the location currently functioning as S.H.I.E.L.D.s headquarters. It was a long ride with some kind of high-tech silent helicopter in the middle of the night, so they couldn't quite make out where they were geographically. It was an eerie feeling to fly over land and lakes when the chopper made almost no sound. When they arrived, however, it soon became clear that it was an underground installation. Obviously, S.H.I.E.L.D. weren't big on daylight bases, Jane thought dryly to herself. The helicopter had landed through the ground or rather the roof of what looked like a big hangar just below ground level. As soon as they stepped out of the machine, they were met by agent Hill and four heavily armed guards.

"Welcome" Hill smiled briefly at them. "Please follow me." Without further small-talk, she turned around and walked swiftly towards a door at the end of the hangar. Erik, Jane and Darcy followed her, a little overwhelmed by the manner of their reception. The door turned out to be a large elevator. Once inside, Hill informed them that they would be going further down underground, where the rest of the team would be waiting for them.

Jane tired to breathe calmly as they descended with the elevator. Although thrilled to be on the move and close to getting some answers, she was nervous too. Thor would be there, within reach in just a few minutes. She wasn't quite sure what to expect – after all, the last time she had seen him, he had left with a promise of coming back for her. A promise which had turned out to be broken. And as time passed, she had begun to lose hope of seeing him again in spite of her efforts to solve the mystery of the Einstein-Rosen Bridge. Even with confirmations of its existence it had proved difficult to figure out how it actually worked, let alone to open an actual functioning gateway. As the weeks and months had passed, she hadn't exactly lost hope – but her view of those three days with Thor in her life had become more realistic; After all, it had only been three days. Yes, they had had a few wonderful conversations. They had even kissed, and it had been a great kiss. But that didn't necessarily mean anything more than just that. It was hardly enough time to fall in love with someone.

Still, she was anxious to see him again – although she was starting to wonder what her intentions were. Did she want to see him because of _him_, or because of what he was and what he could teach her about where he came from? If she was entirely honest with herself, knowing that he might have the answer to her research was just as exciting – and maybe even more so – as the fact that she had crushed on him for some weeks and months.

As the elevator slowed down, she realized that she didn't have the answers to the questions her emotions posed to her, or the time to figure it out. It was here and now, and things would work themselves out from now on. Or so she hoped.

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**AN: If you like this story, or if you just want to see how it goes, please keep reviewing! It's the best way to encourage a writer and I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	3. Chapter 2 Reunions

**Author's Notes: **My deep-felt thanks to those who review.  
Also, for anyone wondering: This story _will be_ finished.  
You may have to wait on occasion, but it will not be abandoned. Now that's out of the way, please enjoy.  
_First posted 17 September 2012._

**Warnings**: Spoiler alerts for those who haven't seen the movies.  
**  
Music: "**Bloodbuzz Ohio" by The National, "Postcard from 1952" by Explosions in the Sky (TH's recommendations) and the Thor soundtrack.

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**Chapter 2: Reunions**

"_And we meet again, and some things have changed, and some have not"  
_-unknown

Preceded by a sharp pinging sound, the door opened, and a strange scene unfolded in front of them. They saw a large, rectangular and brightly lit room with rows of what looked like control panels and screens along the walls. In the middle was a large white table with black chairs around it. The first person they saw was S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury, sitting at the very end of the table, leaning slightly forward with his hands crossed.

To the side of him sat Steve Rogers with a serious look on his face, as if he was in deep thought. Across from him, Tony Stark was lounging in his chair, with his feet on the table. They all looked battle worn, with cuts and bruises everywhere. And a little way from them, Thor was pacing just as Jane had recently. He was in full armour, like the last time she'd seen him, but it looked dented and dirty. Thor himself was livid.

"You cannot be serious!" he bellowed, not having noticed the newcomers yet. "What makes you presume that I will hand him – my _brother_ – over to a Midgardian tribunal?" he gestured, looking at the floor and walls. "Isn't it bad enough that I…-" he suddenly stopped, looking towards the elevator, when he discovered that the three men around the table had turned their heads towards the elevator.

Fury stood up and walked towards them. "Welcome, Selvig, Foster and Lewis. Please, come and join us. I trust you have been comfortable during your time with S.H.I.E.L.D.?" he said.

It annoyed Jane that he said it more as a statement than a genuine question. But this was obviously not a man to argue with at the first meeting. Besides, she was more interested in Thor and his reaction to seeing her.

It took the Norse god a second, but then his face lit up and he walked swiftly towards her as she took a couple uncertain steps in his direction. Jane was practically dragged into his arms and could for the first time in over a year revel in the incredible strength of his arms.

"Jane Foster" he murmured, withdrawing from their embrace to look at her. He frowned a little. "You look different" he said.

"Really?" Jane replied dryly. "Maybe that's because it's been over a year since you last saw me? People change, you know. Especially when they have had their world turned upside-down in just three days by a Norse god who then literally disappears from the face of the earth!"

She instantly regretted the bitterness that came blurting out, but couldn't help herself. She _was_ a little mad at him, even though she well knew that he probably had good reasons for his absence.

Thor bowed his head slightly at her words. "I am truly sorry, Jane. I gave you a promise and I did not keep it – and for that I ask for your forgiveness. If you will allow me, I will try to make it up to you if I can".

He looked at her, and she could tell that he had changed as well. He looked more mature, more solemn – and more troubled. He had the look of a man who was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, and in a way maybe he was.

Jane forced out what she hoped was a disarming smile.

"It's ok, I know you had a lot on your plate. I'm actually looking forward to hearing what's been going on these last few months." She turned around and looked at Fury at the end of the sentence.

"I know everyone's been super busy trying to save the world and all, but Erik, Darcy and I would absolutely love an update".

Fury raised his eyebrows, but gestured to the table. "Join us then, and we'll try to fill you in. I don't suppose you've met Steve Rogers and Tony Stark before?"

The two men had stood up when Jane and her friends had entered, but had kept in the background while Thor and Jane were catching up. They now came forward to greet them. Steve was polite and shook their hands while introducing himself modestly, while Tony Stark was his usual self-confident and slightly cocky persona. Both Jane and Darcy were taken aback by his good looks and natural charm, and Jane suddenly felt a little star struck – she had been following his research for years, after all.

Eventually everyone was seated around the table, and they were brought some refreshments. Fury wasted no time, and interrupted the small talk.

"Now, I believe a short briefing is in order for the newcomers" he said, straightening up.

"Pardon me, director, but where are the others?" Erik interrupted him gently. "I know Ms. Romanoff, Mr. Barton and Mr. Banner were with you. I'd like to meet Bruce again, it's been years".

"They have left the premises. Banner comes and goes as he pleases, and Natasha and Clint are out doing damage control" Fury replied.

Tony snorted loudly. "By 'damage control' he means they wanted a little alone-time, if you get my meaning" he winked at Darcy who giggled back.

Fury tried to stare him into submission, which had no effect whatsoever.

"In any case, they're not here. And good for them too. At least someone are getting lucky..." Stark smirked.

Fury sighed, ignoring the giggling from Darcy's direction.

"You know a little about Thor and Loki's fight, which you got caught up in while Thor was in Puente Antiguo. What you don't know, and what we found out through Thor recently, was that back at Åsgard, their fight culminated in the Bifrost Bridge being broken. As a result of this, Thor was trapped in Åsgard without being able to return to earth" Fury told them.

Jane's eyes widened when she heard this, and felt even worse for having been short with Thor before. It really hadn't been his fault; he had been stuck there without being able to reach her.

Fury continued. "During their battle, Loki allowed himself to drop off of the edge of the Bifrost, and the Asgardians believed him to be lost. We know little about what happened to him during the time he was gone and until he showed up on earth, but we know he made some kind of deal with an alien race called the Chitauri, the army that followed through the wormhole created in New York by the tesseract." he finished.

Jane blinked, having trouble following the depiction of the latest events. Darcy looked nonplussed.

"Hang on a second," Darcy said. "So this Loki-guy vanished for almost a year, and then came to earth where he brought an alien army to conquer the earth? And before that, he took control over Erik and Barton and _no one_ knew? No one even suspected?"

Fury shot an annoyed glace at Darcy before replying. "That is pretty accurate. You see, Ms. Lewis, Loki is very good at staying hidden in the shadows until he's ready for whatever crap he's come up with".

Thor looked pained at that, and Jane wondered just how difficult it must be for him to have his brother so hated by so many. Then again, the hate towards the Trickster wasn't unjustified. Still, she sympathised with the blonde man.

"Where is he now?" Jane asked. "Where is Loki?" The men around the table all looked at her, then at each other.

"He's restrained, in a cell some levels beneath us" Fury said calmly. "...where he will stay hidden from sight from world leaders and otherworldly creatures alike, until we have decided what to do with him".

Thor stood up, causing his chair to fall over. "I have already told you, he is to be brought back to Åsgard!"

"And that's where you interrupted us earlier when you arrived, my good people" Tony said, biting into an apple. He looked positively bored by the argument.

"Thor?" Jane asked, changing the subject, "how did you manage to come back here without the Bifrost?"

Thor looked at her, his expression relaxing a little. "Odin, my father, used his powers to create a small passage for me. Loki was hidden from the sight of Heimdall until he set his plan in motion here on Midgard. Once Heimdall realized Loki was here, he told Odin and we agreed that I be sent here to stop him and bring him home." He looked angrily at Fury before continuing. "Everyone here agrees that what Loki has done to your realm is a great crime. But he is of Åsgard and deserves the justice of Åsgard. He is also my brother; he belongs with us!"

"Come on now, you've already admitted that he's _not_ from Åsgard, and _not_ your biological brother." Tony shot at him. "The way I see it, that kinda makes him free game" he said, causing Thor to make a growling sound.

Jane and her two friends sat back, shocked. This was something they had not known.

"Wait...if Loki's not really from Åsgard, where _is_ he from?" Jane asked, bewildered.

"He's a _Jotne_" Erik said, his voice quiet and strained. He wasn't comfortable even talking about Loki, his distress from being controlled by him so recently still fresh in his mind and body. Everyone else leaned in a little, wanting to hear what the Swede had to say about Norse mythology.

"According to myth, which I suppose we can now regard as being real..." he looked over at Thor who stood silent at the other side of the table. "...there are two races constantly fighting for control over Midgard. One is _Æsene_ – the Asgardians – and the other is _Jotner_. We see the Æse as gods; fair and powerful, wanting the people of earth to live in peace and harmony. As a contrast to that, we have the Jotne; who resemble the trolls in mythology. They are bad-tempered creatures of the dark who wish to see Åsgard and Midgard alike ruined by chaos and war" Erik finished, looking uncomfortable.

The rest of them turned to Thor.

"There is truth to this" Thor said quietly. "The Jotne have a reputation of being a cause of a lot of pain for both humans and my people. Their appearance is quite different from ours. But... Some of them have great magical abilities, and if left unprovoked, will stay quietly in their realm. As for Loki...he was born a Jotne, but my father found him in Jotunheim during the last great war between the Æse and the Jotne. He brought him to be raised with my family. He was raised as Æse – and he will be judged as one, back in Åsgard" he finished firmly.

"Right!" Tony jumped up and stretched. "I don't think this discussion will be finalized today, and I don't know about you guys but I'm longing for a soft bed – you do have those here I hope?" he said looking at Fury and Agent Hill. "Yeah...and I also have to call Pepper, or I'll never hear the end of it" he grinned.

Agent Hill, who had been standing in the background during their discussion, rolled her eyes at the playboy scientist. "Come with me and I'll show you all to your quarters" she said as she turned towards the elevator door.

"I wish to see my brother" Thor suddenly said.

Fury shook his head. "There will be time for that tomorrow. Loki is fine where he is, and as Stark said, we all need a little rest".

Thor looked angry, but finally gave in and followed Jane and the others towards the elevator.

Their rooms, all in the same hallway a few floors up, were small but comfortable enough. _Again, no windows_, Jane thought to herself. Most of them dropped supper and went straight to bed. Jane however, couldn't sleep. She sat on the bed and tried to make sense of everything she'd learned that day. All the stuff about Thor having been stranded without any means of contacting her had softened her feelings towards him a little. Most of the anger was gone, and she couldn't really feel snubbed that he hadn't come to see her right away when Loki was wreaking havoc on people around the world.

She was contemplating these things and more, when she heard a careful knock on her door. Wondering who it could be, she walked over and opened it. It was Thor. He had removed his armour and was standing in front of her in dark grey breeches and a dark red tunic – looking ruffled and absolutely gorgeous. She couldn't help herself, her heart still skipped a beat at the sight of him.

"Jane, I hope you were not yet sleeping?" he asked uncertainly.

"No, I can't sleep actually, so no worries" she said, starting to fidget and forcing herself to stop. "Uhm..you wanna come in?" she asked.

"Thank you" he said politely and slowly walked inside, as if he was intruding on something. She closed the door and sat on the edge of her bed, motioning for him to do the same.

Thor took a deep breath. He looked a little nervous and Jane found it endearing.

"I had to come to you and apologize once more." he said. "You have no idea...how badly I wanted to come back for you. It was agony to be left on Åsgard without being able to reach you." She could see the sincerity in his eyes.

"I forgive you, Thor. I really do. And I'm sorry too, for being...I guess I was angry at you for some time. But I know there was nothing you could do." She looked at him carefully. "It was because of Loki too, wasn't it? I mean, the ...agony you felt?" she asked him.

He suddenly looked as if he was in pain, his brow furrowing. "I know he...I know he has done horrible things. He has caused a lot of pain in both our worlds. But...he remains my _brother_, Jane. No matter where he came from, no matter what kind of darkness resides in his soul, I...I will _never_ give up on him" he said passionately.

Jane nodded. She had never seen or met Loki, and she felt a deep, very human fear of him, caused by what had transpired in Puente Antiguo and the stories she had already heard about New York City. Still, she understood and respected Thor's feelings. She didn't have any siblings, but she knew about family ties and how strong they could be.

"It's ok, I think I understand. And I get that you want to take him home. Your parents must miss him too?" she said quietly.

Thor just gave her a nod. She leaned over and took his huge hand in her small ones. "If I have any say in any of this, I will tell Fury that I'm on your side in taking him back to Åsgard" she continued.

She had no sympathy for Loki, but she did care for Thor and for how his family must feel in all this. His eyes watered a little then. "Thank you, Jane. I truly am grateful for your friendship" he smiled.

He then stood up and bid her good night, and left as quietly as he had come. _Your friendship, he said, _she thought wistfully to herself, after the door has closed behind him. There was still something between them, but it seemed that she wasn't the only one who had begun to move on.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

The next day, after a long shower followed by a much needed breakfast with Darcy and Erik, Jane felt very refreshed. Something was finally happening. Fair enough, it was pretty serious business, and while she wasn't exactly _enjoying_ the situation as such, she was excited in her own way. Anything was better than being locked away without knowing what was going on.

The three of them left their living quarters, and went down with the elevator as they had the previous day. Once again they were accompanied by Agent Hill. Finally down, they arrived at a familiar scene: Stark, Fury, Rogers and Thor had obviously picked up the argument about Loki from the day before.

"...Surely you can tell that his demeanour is different now, with the staff gone from his presence? " Thor sounded almost desperate.

Stark was chewing on one of his fingers, looking thoughtful.

"Well his eyes sorta changed colour, didn't they Fury?" he admitted, not sounding entirely convinced."In Stark Tower, they were very clearly bright blue, and now they're more...I dunno. Green-ish?" he continued.

"Yes! That must mean he was at least partly under some kind of control by Thanos!" Thor said eagerly. "Fury, I beseech you, let not this folly go any further – let me take my brother home!" he turned to Fury with a pleading look.

Fury looked pretty unaffected, but Jane was sure his face would appear as if carved in stone in any situation. She took a step forward, a little intimidated by being in the presence of those men.

"Have you talked to him at all since you came back here? To Loki, I mean?" she asked.

"We decided to give him time to cool off" Fury answered laconically. Thor walked over to him, rage showing his in features. He, unlike Fury, could not keep his emotions from showing on his face – it was one of the things that had drawn Jane to him to begin with.

"Fury", he said far too calmly. At the sound of his voice, Rogers and Stark's heads snapped up and towards them, looking ready to jump in between if necessary.

"You will let me go and see my brother. Right now" Thor continued in that same calm tone.

For the briefest of seconds, Fury looked back at him with something close to recognition in his eye. And he finally gave in.

"Fine. You may see him. Agent Hill will take you. But I want someone else to go with you, to observe." he replied. He turned towards the three scientists and looked at Erik.

Erik, with disbelief written on his face just shook his head a couple of times. "No. No way. I told you Director, I'm not going close to him. Not after...there is no way" he hissed.

Fury didn't reply, he just moved his gaze slightly to the left where it landed on Jane. She swallowed, unable to say anything. During this exchange, Darcy had been looking back and forth between Thor, Fury, Erik and Jane. And now she put her hands on her hips, a gesture signalling that she was extremely unhappy with something.

"Ehem. 'Scuze me. You cannot be fucking serious, Mr. Eye-Patch. You're seriously gonna suggest that Jane goes near a psychotic maniac who threatened to rule the earth and destroyed half of New York City? Are you _crazy_?!" she said.

"Don't forget Stuttgart" Stark shot in. "Lovely city, Stuttgart . Got some great technological research going on. I should know, I invested in half of it". Rogers elbowed him to shut him up while Fury ignored both Stark and Darcy's outburst.

"Ms. Foster, it's up to you. No one is going to force you to do anything. But I assure you, it's perfectly safe. Loki's been heavily restrained, and I want a scientist's observational skills down there".

Jane had already decided once she looked at Thor. She knew he needed her on his side on this and besides, she _was_ curious.

"Ok, I'll do it" she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. She ignored Darcy's indignant exclamation and Erik's protests, and walked over to Thor. Turning around to look at Fury again, she crossed her arms.

"Come on then, we haven't got all day do we?" she smiled a little nervously.

Without further ado, Agent Hill stepped forward and gestured to the elevator door. "If you please follow me" she said and stepped inside.

The three of them stood in the elevator in silence, and Jane suddenly felt her heart racing a little. Thor was obviously nervous too, he kept fidgeting but otherwise kept silent all the way down to their destination.

When the doors opened, a long, gloomy-looking hallway appeared in front of them. As they began walking towards a door at the end, guarded by four agents with strange-looking guns, the sound of their boots made an echoing noise that only added to Jane's uneasiness. Agent Hill exchanged a few words with one of the guards and swiped her key card in the lock next to the door.

"I should warn you – he's not in a good mood. I doubt he'll be happy to see you," she said and looked pointedly at Thor.

He looked at her briefly, and walked inside. Jane took a deep breath, and followed.


	4. Chapter 3 Impressions

**Author's Notes**: Dear readers and reviewers, I appreciate your feedback so much. I reply to each and every review/PM. For those who haven't logged in, know that even though I cannot reply personally to you, you warm my heart. For some of you I'm probably updating way to slowly – just know that I have my reasons. I think the story gets better the more I review it after actually having written it. So, sorry for the wait, but it's for your own good (and mine). In the meantime, go read "The Hangman's Hands" by Mercurie, "World Under Siege" by Ione and pretty much everything by Alydia Rackham. They're great Lokanes!

I also have a tiny announcement: I might be reaching here, but I've decided to reward the _100__th__ review _with a one-shot story. Yay or Nay? Now, enough babble from me - who's ready for Loki?

**Warnings**: If you haven't watched "Thor" and/or "The Avengers" by now, I suggest you go and do that first.

**Music**: "Breath of Life" by Florence and The Machine (for the first part), "Flavour" by Tori Amos (from the new album _Gold Dust, _which is a-ma-zing by the way) and as usual, the "Thor" soundtrack.

**Chapter 3: Impressions**

"_I was looking for a breath of life__  
__A little touch of heavenly light__  
__But all the choirs in my head sang,__  
__No oh oh__  
__…To get a dream of life again__  
__A little vision of the start at the end__  
__But all the choirs in my head sang,__  
__No oh oh"  
_- Florence and The Machine "Breath of Life"

They walked into small square room, with lamps in the roof that gave off a soft, slightly blue-ish glow. The walls were covered in white tiles that gave off a strong impression of being a cold, sterile examination room. Jane registered it as horrendously creepy, before she directed her attention to the third person in there. He was sitting bent forward on a simple metal chair with his arms stretched out to the sides; he was handcuffed with long chains fastened to the facing walls of the room. His head hung down, and he was wearing what looked like a muzzle. His armour was dirty and dented like Thor's had been the day before, and from what little she could see of his skin, he was covered in cuts and bruises. It almost looked like he was sleeping, although Jane wouldn't quite believe it due to the uncomfortable position he was literally caught in. She was horrified by the treatment he had been given – or rather the lack of – no matter what crimes he had done. Thor gave off a choking sound and rushed forwards and dropped to his knees in front of his adopted brother.

"Loki?" he whispered urgently. He raised a hand as if to touch his shoulder, but let it hang in the air for a moment before retreating it to his side. "Brother? ...what have they done to you?!" he burst out. Loki wasn't responding; it seemed he was unconscious. Thor got back on his feet, and turned towards Jane. She took a step back as a reaction to the look on his face. His eyes were lightning – Thor was furious, and it was a scary sight. His face softened a fraction when he saw her cowering away from him, and he reached out a hand and touched her gently on the side of her face. "Jane, I will be back in a moment. I must speak with Hill and Fury. Do not move, I will be back before you know it." With that, he flashed out the door before she could react.

She stared at the door which had closed behind him for a second, and then realized she was alone in a tiny room with possibly the most dangerous creature on the face of the earth. She turned around slowly, almost scared to look at him. Loki was in the same position as before, unmoving but breathing steadily and Jane sighed with relief. Then she tilted her head to one side. Something wasn't right; he was sitting much too upright and taut to actually be unconscious. _Had_ he been unconscious, she doubted he would have been able to stay sitting on the chair at all. She decided to take a chance, and call his bluff – because she couldn't stand the silence in the room when she suspected he was awake. And if she could catch him off-guard, well, then 1 – 0 to the good guys.

"I know you're awake." She stated, simply.

Seconds sneaked away. Then, he slowly raised his head a few inches and opened his eyes slightly. Jane's previous sigh of relief got stuck in her throat – even as she had been prepared – and she stood paralyzed, unable to move a finger. His black hair was falling into his face, making it hard to see his face properly, but she could see his eyes. They were an impossibly green colour, except for the bright azure at the edges of his irises. It didn't look natural – but they were fascinating nonetheless. The intensity of them bore into her like pair of daggers, making her feel like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. Her eyes widened as his left eyebrow lifted the tiniest bit. She was being measured, she realized.

He didn't look hostile, but neither did he look friendly. If anything, he looked thoughtful but his face was almost impossible to read. The muzzle he was wearing didn't help either. It looked awfully uncomfortable, and in spite of his history of violence, she felt a pang of sympathy for him. Worse, she felt ashamed that her companions had done this him, even if he probably did deserve it.  
Clearly, her emotions showed on her face, because he looked startled for the briefest of seconds before his brow furrowed. She wasn't sure if it was in anger or in confusion.

The intensity of his eyes eased a little, and she straightened up, relaxing her tense shoulders a little.  
"We...haven't exactly been introduced," she said slowly. "I'm Jane Foster." She paused, unsure of what else to say. He couldn't reply in any case, and he continued to observe her quietly. "Thor is...he'll be back in a second. He wants them to remove the...muzzle, I guess." She continued, mentally hitting herself for not being more articulate. Loki did look vaguely amused then, although his face darkened at the mention of Thor. Jane had no idea what else to say to him. She harboured no warm feelings for him, and hadn't forgotten her previous promise of kicking his arse – physically or verbally – but she dismissed that as an incredibly foolish notion. It would be like poking a captured panther in a cage with a stick. She decided it would probably be best if she stopped talking. She was there to observe, after all. Looking around the room, she tried to look relaxed and to not fidget, but had a sinking feeling that she was failing miserably. Her chest felt unpleasantly tight, like something was building within her. She hoped it wasn't a panic attack. _Please come back soon, you big damned brute_, she thought desperately.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLLLLLLLLLL

Loki, of course, had been awake – he didn't sleep much on any normal day, and now that he was _imprisoned_, adrenaline was still pumping through his body. Even if he had wanted to sleep the pain from his wounds were making it hard to relax, and the way he was suspended between the walls of the cursed cell made it impossible to get any physical relief. However, pretending to be unconscious was a good way to get first impressions of what was going on without being noticed. It also stopped people from asking annoying questions that he had no intention of answering. He had nothing to say to the miserable mortals of S.H.I.E.L.D.

He knew immediately that two persons had entered the room when the door opened. Even without sight, his other senses told him that Thor had finally graced him with his presence. Loki had wondered where his former-brother-now-nemesis had been hiding. The other person he couldn't identify – from the footsteps it sounded like a female, but it wasn't that seemingly indifferent and cold-hearted agent he had encountered briefly a few days earlier.

Thor rushed over to him, sounding all teary and mad. As if he hadn't known he had been shackled up down here. Loki inwardly rolled his eyes at the display of anger and guilt, which he believed to be false. Still, a small part of him wanted to look at him, to actually see the concern for him, no matter if it was fake or not. But that part was quietly suppressed, and the Trickster stayed completely still. As he thought, Thor believed him to be unconscious – he had always been easy to fool in that manner. Thor then spoke to the woman who was with him and it was all he could do not to snap his head up when he realized who the woman was. _Jane_, the mortal who was responsible for turning his brother so soft a year earlier!

Loki couldn't believe his luck, and when Thor left her alone with him, he was curious as to what her reaction of being left alone with him would be. Surely she'd be terrified? He believed he could almost hear her heart pounding in her chest. And then, to his great surprise, she called him on his bluff. He almost admitted to himself that he was somewhat impressed. Then he opened his eyes and saw her.

His first thought was that she was shorter than he'd imagined. She was small, with an almost lithe grace about her. Compared to Asgardian women she was sort of exotic, if a little plain. Most Asgardians were fair. But her hair was the colour of chestnut, her eyes a slightly lighter shade, with a hint of yellow in them. He could see why his big oaf of a "_brother"_ would be fascinated by her. Clearly, she was putting on a brave face – and just as clearly she was very uncomfortable. Her emotions were almost as easy to read as Thor's.

_Too bad I cannot speak or use magic_, he thought ruefully. He knew that S.H.I.E.L.D. had done something to the room or his chains; usually he wouldn't have any problems with breaking free from his restraints. He wasn't dependent on speaking abilities to practice magic. But he particularly missed his ability to speak now. It would have been a wonderful chance to rattle her a little. He wasn't called Loki Silvertonguefor nothing. But for now, all he could do was observe her, and try to get an impression of her person. That was something else he was known for: to figure out someone's character in a short amount of time. Before his fall, he had been a great help to Odin.

As the God of Lies and Mischief, he could tell if someone was lying, and know their true intentions. Most thought he used magic, but even if it helped, the main truth of it was that he had learned to read people very well through the centuries. Sometimes he would get images of that person, a colour which represented them or sometimes even a word. And while Jane looked anywhere but at him, he was concentrating to _see_ her with his inner mind. There were no colours or images associated with her, that soon became clear. He frowned a little, as he thought he'd heard her say something, but she was silent. He closed his eyes for a moment, and breathed deeply, focusing all his energy towards her.

"_Breath of life". _

It came as a whisper, in a female voice. He pressed his eyelids closer together in confusion. That couldn't be right. He took another deep breath and as he exhaled, he heard it again, quieter this time: _"breath of life"_. He opened his eyes, and saw Jane looking longingly at the door. It definitely wasn't her who had spoken. The three words made no sense to him. He got nothing else but silence, and shrugged it off as being too exhausted to manage to concentrate properly. Although he hated to be wrong, he had to admit that in his current state he could make mistakes. He continued to watch her for a few minutes. She'd meet his gaze now and then; hold it for a few seconds before looking away again. She didn't say anything else, although it looked like she wanted to. In a way, he thought a little amused; she was measuring him like he was her. Loki found her interesting against his own will, and regretted not making true to his threat to Thor of paying her a visit. She might have been as useful as the Swede had proven to be, and certainly more entertaining to control. He could think of endless ways to use her against Thor – and what a weapon she would have been! He snapped out of his trail of thoughts as he heard footsteps approaching, and braced himself to meet the God of Thunder again.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLLLLLLLLLLLL

The door suddenly flew up, causing Jane to jump. Thor rushed back inside the room, with Agent Hill walking resolutely behind him. "Jane, is everything alright?" Thor asked. Jane couldn't help herself, she rushed over to his side and grabbed his arm. "I'm ok, but he's awake." She hissed. When he was finally back again, she could allow herself to realize how nervous she had been during these last few minutes. Thor blinked at her, and turned towards Loki, who calmly met his eyes, still with his head tilted down towards the floor.

"Brother...I am truly sorry. I swear to you, I did not know how you have been treated." Thor said, looking almost bashful. Loki replied with a scowl.

Thor turned to Agent Hill: "Now, take the damned thing off his face!" he growled. Agent Hill stared back at him for a second before walking over to Loki, her lips pursed. She did not look happy about it. A few moments later, the muzzle was off, and Loki opened his mouth carefully, stretching his jaws. "I do not suppose you give a face massage as well?" he said with a sideways glance at the agent. Agent Hill ignored him, and walked back to Thor. "You should know we had good reasons for keeping the muzzle on. Now you deal with it." she said, and walked back outside.

Jane stood back by the door, and looked at the two brothers. It was quite obvious that they weren't related, really. They were both very tall and both had a regal air about them, but that was where the resemblance ended. Their height was about the same, but Thor seemed huge compared to Loki. He was very muscular and had long fair hair and sparkling blue eyes. Loki was muscular as well, but compared to Thor he appeared leaner. His hair was raven black though it was presently matted with dirt.

"So, you finally decided to check on me?" Loki said as casually as he could. His voice was raspy after days without being able to speak. "I suppose I should forgive you, seeing that you brought me a present." He smirked, casting a glance at Jane who looked like she wanted to take another step back.

"Stop it, Loki! She has done nothing to you, there is no need threaten her simply to aggravate me" Thor snapped. "Now listen well brother-" he continued, but Loki interrupted him with a laugh. "Do you remember what happened last time you told me that?" he grinned maliciously, savouring the memory of the Iron Man knocking him over. Thor dragged a hand through his hair, obviously impatient and perhaps a little embarrassed. Jane wondered what had happened, she didn't get the joke. Thor walked towards his fallen brother, and lowered his voice. "This is important Loki. I want to bring you back to Åsgard. They want to keep you here and punish you for your crimes. You may hate me all you want, but please work with me on this. If nothing else, for Mother's sake." He pleaded.

Loki looked at him with disbelief. "And I won't be punished in Åsgard?!" he snarled. "Besides, how long do you think it will take before I have outsmarted these pathetic ants?" he said, turning his eyes towards Jane. She straightened up, not willing to let this...madman insult her entire race. "I don't see you roaming around free here, exactly." She retorted sharply. Loki merely smiled. "I might have more tricks up my sleeve" he winked at her.

"Loki!" I am not saying there is no punishment waiting for you home – but at least it won't be execution or something worse." Thor interrupted the two. He paused briefly. "They mourned you. Mother and Father. As did I." He whispered. Loki fell silent then, caught up in almost forgotten, happy memories from his childhood. When he still had a family.

"It's too late. How can I possibly go back?" He said quietly, as if to himself. "There may yet be hope, brother. At least there is a better chance there than here." Thor answered. Jane watched them, completely engrossed in the conversation between two estranged brothers. It was heartbreaking to listen to, and she felt for both of them. More than ever, she believed in second chances. Part of her hated Loki, because he frightened her – apparently with good reason – but in that moment, all she could see was someone who was lost. He truly believed he had burned all bridges. Where there had been hope and love and laughter, was now anger and despair and thoughts of revenge.

And yet, maybe there was still a little hope left in the dark prince. All of a sudden, he looked resigned. "Very well then." He simply said, locking eyes with Thor.

And that was the moment when Jane's life turned up-side down once again. An alarm went off – a high, screeching sound that made all three jump. "...guess they've been listening." Loki said laconically into the air. Thor twisted around, as if to look for enemies. He wasted little time; he ran over to Loki and with a roar ripped the chains from the wall.

As Loki stood up – he was towering over her – Jane felt scared and in awe at the same time. He really was an impressive figure. Jane began to withdraw, as her heart withdrew. She realized they had to run, and part of her heart was breaking to see them disappear out of her life. Who knew when or if she'd see them again?

But then, Thor turned towards her. "Jane Foster." He said, giving her a small smile. "I did promise you a visit to Åsgard. Do you still want to go?" he asked. Loki merely gave them a puzzled raised eyebrow, but otherwise did not say anything.

Jane was dumbfounded; her heart racing like it would burst any second. Could she really just take off with them like that? Erik and Darcy would be worried, Fury and the Avengers would be livid. She'd get on their bad side for the rest of her life, she supposed. In their eyes it was rather like running off with the enemy. And then she thought of her research. How was it really different than going on a lengthy field trip? Besides, her research and theories was one thing. Having the chance to actually seeing it and experiencing it was quite another thing. In all honesty, she had been waiting and hoping for this for a year. She suspected she might regret her impulsivity later, but she looked at Thor and said "Ok, let's go."

Thor gave her a wide grin, and grabbed her arm and dragged her towards him and Loki. Then he looked upwards. "Heimdall – we are ready! Father? It must be now! HEIMDALL!" Everything went blurry then for a while, but Jane vaguely registered people coming crashing into the room as the world as she knew it disappeared in the haze of a wormhole. She screamed, but she could only hear it from far away. A deafening roar followed them as they raced – or fell, Jane couldn't tell the difference – through blackness splattered with light from what she assumed were stars. They moved through the universe for what seemed like a lifetime. Jane could do nothing else but clutch to Thor's arm.

Then, a bright light appeared in the distance in front of them. It was rushing towards them, making Jane's eyes hurt. There was a crashing sound, and darkness withdrew for the light and for a brief second she could see a whole world stretching out in the horizon before they landed with an enormous bang on the ground. The two men stood standing, but Jane fell to her knees panting – surprised she hadn't broken every single bone in her body. Her head swam from the vertigo she'd been through and she wanted to be sick – but Thor put a hand gently on her shoulder and made her look up. "Welcome to Åsgard, Jane Foster." He smiled.

**AN: To be continued...**


	5. Chapter 4 Welcome to Åsgard

**Published 08 October 2012****  
Author's Notes: **Reviews makes me happy and write faster!**  
Music:** "Canvas" by Imogen Heap , "The Seer's Tower" by Sufjan Stevens, "A Drowning" by How To Destroy Angels, and as always, the "Thor" soundtrack.  
**Warnings:** None, except for the usual spoiler alert. But by now I'm sure you've seen the movies.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Welcome to Åsgard**

_It's the looking back in anger_  
_With every second slipping by_  
_(...)_  
_Look at everything around us_  
_Look at everything we've done_

_Please - anyone?_  
_I don't think I can save myself_  
_I'm drowning here_  
_Please - anyone? __**  
**__- How To Destroy Angels, "A Drowning"_

Jane could only look up at Thor, her breathing still heavy. His smile faltered. "Are you all right, Jane?" he asked with concern in his voice. "Give me a second" was all she could muster to reply, putting her shaking hands on the ground to steady herself. Finally she looked around her. Loki was immediately surrounded by guards, flanked by the most imposing man she had ever seen. He was, if possible, even bigger than Thor – covered shiny golden armour. He shot a short glance at her, and she gasped when she saw his eyes. They were completely golden as well, like a lion's eyes. Loki didn't react to the welcoming committee; he merely stood still and let them apprehend him. But his face was set in stone, forcing all emotions away.

Thor turned towards the huge golden man and spoke. "He is badly injured, you should take him to Eir." he urged. The man nodded. "It is good to have you back safe, Prince Thor" he said, in an impossibly dark voice. "The All-Father awaits you. I am certain he has some questions for you" he continued with a look at Jane.

He then signalled to the guards and they took Loki with them over the bridge towards the city. Jane somehow managed to sit upright. She still felt dizzy and nauseous, but now she was overwhelmed from all the new impressions as well. The light around her was soft and warm, like a sunset, and nothing she laid eyes on looked familiar. Just looking down at the bridge they were on, which seemed to be transparent glass, made her eyes water. It was alive with colours gliding over the surface. Thor walked over to her again and kneeled beside her. "I know this place must seem strange to you, Jane. But have no fear, you are safe here." He said softly. "Come, let me help you up – if you can stand?" he stood up and reached a hand out to her.

Jane stood up, on a pair of rather wobbly legs. She clung to Thor like he was a life-line. "I'm almost scared to look around. This is...I don't know, I don't have words to describe what I feel right now" she stammered.

"Then do not speak. You've had quite a shock and there is plenty of time to take it all in" Thor reassured her. "Come." He led her slowly, step by step across the bridge and towards where the others had gone with Loki minutes earlier.

At first, she couldn't take her eyes off their feet; as they walked, the glass bridge was humming quietly with every step, leaving colours of the rainbow shaped as their footsteps in their wake. She tried not to pay too much attention to the vast sea underneath them, as it roared and plunged into darkness at the edge. Luckily, Thor was being a gentleman and giving her time to catch up as they walked. Soon, she raised her head and looked around her.

Behind them was the broken bridge where they had landed, to the sides and above them darkness and strange constellations of stars – something she would definitely look further into when she could think properly again. Ahead of them an enormous city loomed over them, with the palace as the eye-catching centre. Most of the buildings seemed to be made by a mixture of wood, marble and gold – or bronze. It was hard to tell as it was getting darker, but for the moment, everything was bathed in the light from the setting sun, making the entire city glow. It was breathtaking and Jane couldn't help but to shed a couple of tears in awe. Thor smiled. "Wait until you see it in full daylight." There was pride in his voice, and Jane didn't blame him one bit for it.

As they approached and entered the palace, guards greeted them silently as they passed. "Jane, I will have to meet my father right away. If it suits you, I will first take you to a room where you can rest until the morning." Thor said. Jane didn't reply right away. She _was_ overwhelmed and exhausted. It had been a long day. But now that the first shock had worn off, she didn't want to be locked away somewhere right away. A tiny flare within her insisted that she should _explore_.

Thor must have guessed why she was quiet, because he stopped and turned her towards him. "I do not wish you to think that I am hiding you away. I will take you to my friends and sights on the morrow. It must be taxing to be here, and there are great many wonders you shall see, but...my brother is...right now he is 'a loose cannon' as you would say on Midgard. I must discuss this with my family and make sure that he – and we – is safe." He told her gravely. She couldn't help but smile at his attempt to talk like her, it sounded so wrong coming from him.

"It's ok, Thor –" Jane interrupted him – "I admit, I'm eager to look around but it can wait. I mean, I understand you have stuff to take care of. Family is important, especially with a 'loose cannon' in the midst. " She mustered a big grin. "I'll just relax and, I don't know, stare out the window for a few hours?" The initial disappointment had been replaced with realism. She couldn't expect him to take her sightseeing right away.

Thor looked a little relieved, in spite of his efforts to hide it. He guided her through several hallways, every new one more detailed and beautiful than the last, or so it seemed to Jane.

She was so busy looking around she hardly noticed that they stopped in front of what looked like a large brass door decorated with intricate carvings. "I believe you will like this room." Thor said. "I am glad you are here, Jane Foster. I will call on you, come first light, and I will show you the wonders of my world." He continued. He leaned down as he lifted her hand up and kissed it gallantly, like he had when they first met. Jane let out a small giggle. "I look forward to it. Now go you, I'll be fine until tomorrow!" With a last grin, he turned away and strode down the hallway and disappeared.

Jane opened the door and was about to walk inside, but stopped gaping. She could do nothing but stare at the room that revealed itself in front of her. Having recently lived in an S.H.I.E.L.D. bunkers and previously calling a small trailer her home, any actual room would have been impressive. This however, was royally amazing .It was huge and looked like a queen's living quarter.

It was high under the ceiling, and a large comfortable looking bed was centered in the middle of the room, with various luxurious furniture around it; a dresser, two night stands on each side of the bed, a huge wardrobe and even a dining table and a couple of soft couches. The interior was tastefully coloured in beige, dark brown and gold. But all of that wasn't what really made Jane gape; the ceiling was reflecting the night sky – it looked alive. Forget about staring out the window, she could literally lie in bed and study the stars. She had never seen anything like it. The closest thing she could compare it to was a planetarium, but even that didn't do it justice. "Fat chance I'll get any sleep", she mumbled to herself before finally going inside and closing the door behind her.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

He didn't hesitate as such, but Thor stopped to take a deep breath before walking into the All-Father's throne room. Dealing with Loki and with Loki meeting their parents again for the first time since his fall would not be easy. He doubted it would be a happy reunion, and suspected many harsh words would fall. Sadness coloured his features. He could remember standing her with Loki at his side, before everything went so horribly wrong. _Never doubt that I love you...Now give us a kiss_. Loki's words flew through his mind. The God of Thunder nodded to the guards and they opened the massive doors.

His parents were standing on the floor, the throne rising up above them majestically. Odin the All-Father looked as imposing as he always did, age not showing in his stature at all. Frigg held her head high, as beautiful and regal as ever, but Thor knew his mother well, and could tell she was tensed up like a coil ready to spring. When she saw him, she rushed across the floor to him, and threw herself around his neck. "My dear Thor! I am so pleased to see you well!" she said, her voice quivering.

Thor hugged her back gently, before withdrawing. "It is good to be back, Mother. All is well – you need not worry so much." he told her. "How can I not worry?" she said, turning her head to look at Odin. "Where is he?" the one-eyed man said calmly. "Loki..." Frigg breathed. "Is he really back? Oh, do tell me it is true, that you brought him back to me!" Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and Thor swallowed hard. "He is here, Mother. I asked Heimdall to take him to Eir. He was badly bruised and battered." Frigg visibly relaxed and exhaled like she had been holding her breath for days. "Thanks to _Valhall_ and _Nornir_" she whispered.

Odin approached them, silently and not as relaxed as Frigg by the news. Then again, he had heard what Heimdall had seen, and knew that not all was yet well. "Heimdall! Bring my son to me as soon as possible!" he called out into the air, knowing that Heimdall would be listening. He turned to Thor and locked eyes with him. "How bad is it?" he asked. Thor looked from Odin to Frigg and back again.

"It is grave. We can hardly imagine what he went through falling into and through the abyss; we all know it should not have been possible to survive. He caused a lot of misery on Midgard, and he brought an army of Chitauri which he got through his dealings with Thanos." Frigg looked horrified as he spoke, but she said nothing. "You should be prepared," Thor continued reluctantly, "he is not himself. He got hold of a staff from Thanos, and it somehow enhanced his feelings of betrayal, rage and hate. His eyes...turned blue, and he...You saw, Father, did you not? Through Heimdall?"

His voice choked, he couldn't continue. He watched his mother paling, and Odin himself looked saddened as he nodded in response. "I failed him." Odin whispered. Frigg stood up taller, and looked determined. "He is still our son. I thought we had lost him – but now he is here. I have both my sons back!" she said stubbornly.

Just then, the doors opened, and Heimdall walked in, followed by rows of guards with Loki in tow between them. Frigg started towards him, but Odin gently grabbed her arm and she stopped looking longingly towards her lost son. "_Tålmod_, _kjæraste_" Odin told her quietly. The guards escorted Loki up to them and from a signal from Heimdall, walked back out and left the five of them alone in the throne room.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Loki didn't know what to expect. He had known there would be a welcoming committee after arriving, but he had been surprised when the first thing they did was take him to Eir, the healer. She had not spoken to him, but her eyes had been as gentle as he could vaguely remember from when he was a boy. He felt increasingly torn inside as the cuts and bruises healed on the outside under her care. It was the same mixture of feelings that had slowly begun to bubble up to the surface when the power of the staff had been removed from his reach. Questions swirled through his mind; Was he hated or loved? Was he the prodigal son returned, or a criminal who was to be punished? Had he missed them or did he hate them? He clung on to his emotions of anger and betrayal, because everything else felt too strange to him. Yet, as he walked into the throne room and saw his mother starting towards him, his heart ached in a way it had not done in a long, long time. Nevertheless, he kept his face neutral, staring defiantly at Odin.

He was not expecting what happened next.

Odin took two steps towards him, never taking his eye off his. They stood like that for a long while, and then Odin crushed him in a hug. "_Sonen min,_" he whispered. Loki closed his eyes, arms at his sides. He couldn't hug him back, and he couldn't shake away. When Odin finally withdrew, he was met by the kindest, most loving eyes in the universe – the eyes of his mother, wet with tears that rolled down her cheeks. A lump in his throat made it hard to swallow, and his own eyes watered. He blinked furiously and took a step back, as if he was being cornered by attackers.

"That's it then?" he said, his voice low. "All is well and forgotten?" Frigg looked taken aback. "You are _family_, Loki!" she shot at him. "_Family_?" he laughed bitterly. There was a second of silence in the hall as he looked at them, almost challenging. "I am a FROSTGIANT!" he yelled. "I was never one of you; you lied to me, and you – and especially _him_ –"he pointed at Odin – "dragged me along like the house PET!" Odin took a step forward; his eye flashing with anger, but Frigg stepped to the side and blocked his way. She never took her eyes off Loki's.

"You have been so hurt, _kjæraste sonen min_," she soothed. "And we are partly to blame for how you feel. But not even you, in all your anger and disappointment and pain, can stand there and look me in the eyes, and claim that I am not your mother. You did not come from my womb; but no mother could love her son more. Loki, you can say that you do not love us - me - anymore; but I will never believe it, even if the sky should fall upon us this instant as a result. I do not believe it." Frigg spoke softly, but there was an edge of determination and faith in her voice that could not be argued with.

Loki stood there, defeated even if he refused to admit it. He was tired, down to the bones of his body. So when Frigg took that last step towards him and laid her hands on his face, he didn't move. He couldn't.

His eyes closed, brows furrowed, and he simply stood – feeling the first gentle touch on him in a long time as it washed away part of his rage. "Come," she said, and led him away from the baffled men behind them. She cast a glance back at Thor and Odin. "There will be time enough to talk and argue later".

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

"What just happened?" Thor asked, a little bewildered. Odin sighed, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. "Your mother has a kind of magic of her own. I will never fully understand it." He shook his head and smiled. "But she is right; you both have had a trying time and you should rest. Words can come later." He put his hand on Thor's back, and with that, the family meeting was adjourned.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Frigg led Loki through the palace to his old quarters. It was of formidable size and elegantly decorated in his favourite colours, black, green and bronze. Upon entering, Frigg looked at him. "I know about your secret room, Loki. Can you take us there?" Loki's eyes widened in surprise; he had never told a living soul about it, the hidden room within the room – it was smaller, but it was one of his few sanctuaries where he'd hide away in solitude. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you know of it." he sighed, to which Frigg winked at him. "And for how long have you assumed that I don't know everything about you, my son?"

Loki summoned the secret sanctuary with a wave of his left hand, and the great room faded away around them as it was replaced with a smaller room, only containing a small couch, a chair and a table with old papers strewn around on it and a big fireplace which immediately burst into flames. There was no roof, and the stars hung over them as little candles. Frigg laughed softly. "It is beautiful; intimate and open all at the same time!" She walked over to the couch and motioned for him to sit down. He did, tentatively, unsure of what she meant with all of this.

"Let me cut your hair, Loki – it has been long overdue." She took a razor-like knife out of one of the folds of her dress. Loki twitched away from her – reflex and suspicion controlling his movements – but Frigg stopped him by putting her hand on his head and began stroking his hair. "Loki, dearest, no one is going to hurt you. You are safe here." She soothed and although Loki wasn't sure how it was possible, he leaned back into a comfortable position on the couch. He let her hands caress his face, and his tension was smoothed away. Carefully, almost gingerly, she began to cut away the long strands of raven hair as she absently hummed a melody she had used to sing for her young sons centuries ago.

_Hush now, my child, and have no fear  
You must no longer weep.  
Disir and Alfar stand by you  
Ever their watch to keep.  
May dreams of green and peaceful lands  
Be with you while you sleep._

_Now is the hour when all must go  
Each to his own bed.  
Rest now, my child, the whole night through;  
lay down your sleepy head.  
Soon morning light the dawn will bring  
Sunna her path to tread._

Tears begun to pool in his eyes. With every cut of his hair, his anger fell away from the core of his soul just as the hair fell to the floor. "I cannot stay here, Mother." he whispered.

"Where would you go?" Frigg asked him softly. "Even if you cannot feel it now, you do belong here with us. There is no need to point out that your relationship with your father and brother is strained, and that it will take time for all of us to adjust..- But time _does_ heal, Loki."

"I am not so sure of that – too much has been said and done. Nothing will ever be the same again." He retorted, with bitterness in his voice.

"Who said anything about things going back to how they once were?" Frigg shot back as she cut another lock of hair. "Dearest, there is no going back. Even if there was, it would not benefit anyone. You move forward; that is how you learn and how you grow – such is the path of life."

Loki was silent for a while, contemplating his mother's words. "I would have been a good king for them – the mortals. I would have been just and fair and honest. Or so I believed." Frigg waited before she replied, focusing on the task of cutting his hair to neck length.

When she finished, she ruffled his hair gently and walked over to sit down with him, where she took his face in her hands. "Loki. I do not condone what happened on Midgard. I do not even know the details of it. I know you – willingly or unwillingly – did them wrong. But remember this; no matter what you do, what you have done, I will always love you as my son. I expect you to atone for your wrongdoings, for I raised you so. And I know you will eventually find your true purpose."

Loki stared at her, feeling shameful and grateful at the same time. He could not think of anything to say, and her mild eyes became too much for him, so he looked away. Frigg smiled gently. "Now you should rest. The next days will be trying for you, as they will for your father and brother." She paused, and stood up. "Try not to judge them, as they try not to judge you. Your opinions may differ on many things, but you should not be so quick to dismiss their love for you; not a day has passed without any of us thinking about you and missing you." With that, she leaned down and kissed his forehead, and left him to his thoughts.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Norwegian:  
_Tålmod_, _kjæreste_ means "Have patience, my dearest"  
_Sonen min_ means "my son"

The lullaby: "Coventry Carol", trad. English 15th cent.

_**Please review!**_


	6. Chapter 5 Wise Words and Observations

**Author's Notes:** Your reviews and favourites and follows make me happier than I think you realize. Thank you.  
Feel free to follow me on tumblr, name is YvaineSss, or search for #Shared Silence or #Lokane. I give a shout there before I post a new chapter.  
_First posted 21 October 2012._

Shared Silence cover art is by the lovely **RaaiSesshyFan** who replied to my plea of help on tumblr to have cover art made for this story.  
Go check out her stories and profile!

**Music**: "Science and Magic" (Thor Soundtrack), "St. Teresa" by Joan Osborne, "Follow the Map" by MONO.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Wise Words and Observations**

From very small  
and close  
to far and very large  
I learned about  
observing all about me  
_- Henry Burt Stevens_

The next couple of days were a dream coming true for Jane. Thor made good on his promise to show her the best of Åsgard. They spent hours walking through the golden city, making new acquaintances – people who were as beautiful and graceful as anyone could imagine – and travelling through vast landscapes of incredible beauty. She saw more amazing wonders than she had ever believed existed, and felt more alive than she had in a long time. Thor had come to her every morning at dawn, and took her on long excursions outside the city as well, with "flying by Mjǫlnir" as a means of transportation.

Being in the city itself was like being in a different country; they walked through vast markets of exotic food and strange items. She saw street shows by entertainers or skilled masters of some strange new craft. To her, some of it could have been taken out of any movie about medieval times. When Thor took her flying, it became very clear that Åsgard was not like just some new country, but a different planet and world. What struck Jane first, were the colours: They were more intense here than back on earth. And although she had no possible explanation for it, colours came in a wider variety than she had ever seen before. Red was not just red, there was a thousand different nuances of the colour. It made her head swim and her eyes water – the inexplicable beauty of everything was unlike anything she had ever even dreamed about.

The weather had been amazing, sunny and bright – and Jane had wondered if it ever rained or snowed. Thor had simply replied "When we need it to" which Jane interpreted that they could control the weather. Outside the city, where few of the people of Åsgard dwelled, there were vast forests, lakes and waterfalls, huge mountains and caves and plains that seemed to stretch on forever. Jane got the impression that nature on Åsgard contained everything that Earth had to offer – the difference being that it was untouched, unspoilt and even more magnificent. Pollution had left no mark on the landscape, and everything that was built blended in with its surroundings.

A couple of times she'd been invited to watch Thor and his friends sparring with weapons. It had scared Jane a little the first time, because it looked rather dangerous to her. There were no wooden swords; they actually fought with their real weapons. Afterwards, they'd be covered in minor bruises and cuts, and laughing heartily at each other. It seemed they had taken a liking to her, and made her feel like one of them from the instant they had met again after their short visit on earth. Volstagg was loud and he was by far the happiest after a sparring match when he could work on his never-ending appetite. Fandral was overly attentive to her – friendly, but seemed that flirting and seduction was an unconscious habit of his. Hogun was the quietest of them, but he was not unfriendly. Neither was Siv, but Jane had a strange feeling around her.

The more attention Thor paid to Jane, the more Siv seemed to withdraw. Jane shook it off as her imagination going wild, but she could've sworn she had seen jealousy in the dark-haired beauty's eyes. It was ridiculous. Thor was becoming more and more like a good friend, not a potential lover. They really didn't have that much in common, and after the first two days of constantly walking around everywhere together, in spite of the wonders and good company, Jane began to long for a few hours of solitude. She wanted some time to take everything in, and to study the night sky – which was something Thor wasn't in the least interested in.

So far, she had been too tired to manage to stay up and look at her enchanted ceiling after a long day of constantly receiving new impressions, but she was determined to change that. However, after following her to her room on the second day, Thor had some news. "Jane. My parents have expressed a wish to meet you. Will you dine with us tonight?" he asked. Jane's heart begun to race in her chest. "Are you serious? I'm to meet _Odin_ and _Frigg_?" she almost yelped. Thor laughed. "Of course! They simply did not wish to overwhelm you when you so recently arrived. They are quite curious to meet you – we do not have Midgardians visiting every day, you know." He gave her a wink. Jane was stunned. Surely the King and Queen of Åsgard had more important things to do than to dine with her?

"But...what do I say? How do I address them? What do I _wear_?" She hated that she couldn't quite express herself without stuttering a little, but he had caught her completely off-guard with this. "Jane, just be yourself – that is quite sufficient. They will not think less of you simply because you're different from us – you're an honoured guest!" He paused when he saw hints of panic in her face. "I will have a gown brought for you, if that makes you feel more comfortable?" Jane could only nod.

So far they had shared meals together in the relaxing company of the Warriors Three and Siv. It had suited Jane just fine as she could listen to the friends' banter – it had been an easygoing and fun atmosphere. Now, she suspected there would be questions and a formality that Jane didn't feel so comfortable with. She promised herself to stop fretting about it, and take it as yet a wonderful and crazy experience. "A dress – sorry, gown – would be nice. I'm sure it'll be fine. I just got a little freaked out for a moment there." She said, and gave him a shaky smile.

"By the way, Thor...I have a something to ask of you, as well." She continued. This was a good a moment as any to plan her little R&R of independent self-exploring, and she figured she'd need it even more after tonight's dinner. "Of course Jane, anything you want." Thor looked expectantly at her. "Uhm, well, I'd love to have a day to myself tomorrow. Just wander around a little, maybe jot down some notes for my research? I have loved the last couple of days – it's been so great, but I think it would be good for me to have some time to take it all in, you know?" She was a little worried he'd take it the wrong way and be offended, but she hadn't needed to worry. Thor smiled. "Of course Jane, that's an excellent idea! And you do not have to ask; you are a guest here and your time yours to do with as you wish." Jane gave him a grateful smile – he really was the best host anyone could ask for. "I will call on you in an hour for dinner, if that is agreeable to you?" he asked, and Jane nodded in reply.

During the following hour Jane did her best to look presentable, although how she'd look presentable enough for a King and a Queen, she had no idea. She started with a bath that didn't last nearly as long as she wanted it to, and finished off with putting on the dress that had been brought to her. It was a light green-yellow colour that accentuated the golden brown in her eyes and hair, boat cut and slim-fitting. By laws of gravity the soft fabric should have slipped right off, but it stayed in place like magic – which it probably was, she mused. It was such a cliché, but she felt like a princess. Thor's reaction when he came to escort her only added to that feeling; he actually blushed, which was a first for Jane to witness. "Jane Foster," he said solemnly, "...you look like a goddess yourself." Jane could only grin, and with her boost of confidence, she held out an arm for him. "Shall we then, my prince?" she teased.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

They were met just inside the dining hall by the All-Father and Frigg themselves, and Jane tried not to stare. Their physical appearance was one thing, but they had an otherworldly air about them that was almost dizzying to behold. Her first impression of them was full of contradictions; they were ancient yet youthful, stern and regal yet friendly and down to earth. But most of all, Jane reflected as the dinner began, she was surprised at how genuinely interested they were in conversing with her –hearing about her life on earth and her research. Conversation flowed easily, and Jane retrospect, maybe a tad too relaxed – or maybe it was the fine wine they were drinking. In one of the short pauses during their conversation, a thought popped into Jane's head.

"Forgive me if this is an inappropriate question, but what happened to Loki?" The question seemed strange even to her. She hadn't given him a single thought since she saw him being led away when they first arrived. Odin looked unfazed, but Thor suddenly coughed like he had swallowed a large chunk of food without chewing. Frigg continued to eat but suddenly looked alert. "He keeps to himself, much as he has always done" Odin spoke. "And we did not wish to cause any distress for you by having you sit down with him and share a meal with him, after the anguish he caused on your world." He continued. Thor cast a glance at Jane to see her reaction. "I...I don't...You have shown me nothing but hospitality and grace, Sir." She said, unsure of how to explain herself. "Loki never hurt me personally. Although...he hurt some of my friends. I hold no love for him – but no grudge either. I just hope you all have been able to work things out." She finished, feeling that she had crossed a line with being so direct.

Frigg leaned over a little, looking intently at her. "Do you not fear him? After what he caused on your world?" she asked earnestly. Jane blinked, not quite understanding her own immediate response. "I don't think I do. I haven't seen him since I came here, but...I find it hard to believe that I'll ever feel unsafe here. Do I have reason to be? Frightened by him, I mean?" Frigg smiled softly before answering. "No, dear Jane. Loki will not hurt you." She paused. "You should not expect him to be as gallant as Thor – but he will not hurt you."

Thor sighed. "Mother, perhaps you should not make that promise so lightly. He is still angry with us, and especially with me – and though I do not think he would harm her, I am not sure he is beyond using her to hurt _me_." He looked at Jane. "I do not mean to alarm you, Jane. I just would caution you should you meet him. Frigg locked her eyes with him. "How do you come to the conclusion that I make promises lightly, son?" She scolded him lightly. "A mother _knows_, Thor. A _woman_ knows." And with that cryptic remark, she turned her attention back to her dinner plate.

Thor harrumphed. "We still argue." He told Jane casually, even if she could see that it bothered him. "He continues to be angry with us, but after speaking with Mother, he...calmed. He is allowed to walk around freely, but Father has bound most of his magic, so he cannot run away, or do anyone harm by magic. So you should be perfectly safe here, Jane, even if you should meet him alone." He explained.

Jane could only nod. It didn't concern her as much as she might have thought it would. During her only encounter with him before they went to Åsgard so abruptly, she hadn't gotten the impression that he directly wanted to harm her. It was just a feeling she'd gotten. More importantly, she trusted his family with her life – literally and metaphorically – she knew they wouldn't let anything happen to her while on Åsgard. If anything, she was a little curious about him, which she could only explain to herself as a scientific approach to his psyche. The dinner continued in a pleasant manner, and she made several mental notes as Odin explained a little about the Bifrost and the previous means of travelling between the nine realms. Loki was not mentioned again, save for in a few stories about Thor and him as children. After the dinner, Jane retreated to her chambers, tired but reinvigorated and excited about the following day.

Back in the dining hall, Odin and Frigg sat talking after Jane and Thor had left. "She is a remarkable young woman" Frigg said. "I do wish she could stay here. She would bring a lot of good to us, I believe." She looked pointedly at her husband. "You know the rules, _kjæraste_," Odin replied as he lifted his goblet to take a sip. "She must return to her own world – as all mortals have done before her." Frigg looked thoughtful. "I do know the rules...and the exceptions to the rules as well, dear husband of mine." Odin gave her a puzzled look. "Have you seen anything you would like to share with me? Is it Thor? Does he love her and mean to court her?"

Frigg shook her head absently. "I do not need my visions to know that those two do not belong together. Anyone can tell they are too different." Stroking a finger across his bearded chin, Odin nodded in agreement. "It is a shame though – our son needs a good woman to keep him grounded." Frigg gave a little laugh. "Like I calmed your own wildness, you mean?" she teased. "But do not worry my love," she continued, "They will both find good women – maybe they already have." Odin sighed and put the goblet down. "My dearest Frigg, sometimes even I, in spite of all the centuries we have spent together, does not know what you seem to know." Frigg only replied with a secretive smile.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

The next day, Jane practically jumped out of bed, ready to continue her adventure. First, she had a hearty breakfast with Thor, Siv and the Warriors Three during which she learned they had planned a whole day of practicing their already well impressive fighting skills. She asked them if there was a library of sorts in the palace, and received a storm of good-humoured teasing about her wanting to read when she could learn how to fight. It really did seem to be their favourite past time, maybe the exception being Volstagg who did rather seem to enjoy any kind of meal during any time of day. Nonetheless, they accepted her for the scientist she was, and soon she parted with them and was walking through the hallways to find what Thor had referred to as "the study". When she found it, she quickly discovered that it was not merely a study; it was a hall the size of the throne room, filled with shelves of books that seemed to reach upwards toward the ceiling for meters and meters.

"Oh my god" she breathed. It was the wet dream of any researcher, but also possibly a version of hell. Where would she even start? She would need a guide to find what she wanted, which was mainly books about the stars of Åsgard. She slowly began walking along the shelves. Most of them were marked with signs, but they were in a language she couldn't read – it was presumably Norse. But then, as she walked closer, the letters seemed to shiver before her eyes, and turned into English. Another magic trick she was immensely grateful for.

After walking around and reading the signs, carefully touching the books as she passed them, she thought she felt herself being pulled slightly towards a section. It felt like someone was gently nudging her to walk in a specific direction, and although she was confused, it felt very natural to follow the impulse – she hardly even thought about it consciously. When she reached the section, she finally found what she was looking for: "A Comprehensive Study of the Stars and Constellation of Åsgard" a large book read, almost glowing towards her. Grinning, Jane suspected the title was something else entirely originally, but there was no doubt that the title of the book made it easy for her academically trained mind to recognize it for what it was. She wanted to take it with her, yearning for some fresh air in peace and quiet to read, but she was unsure of whether or not she was allowed to. Maybe the magic in here extended to other things as well, there certainly was no harm in trying, she thought. Feeling more than a little silly, she leaned over to the book and whispered: "Am I allowed to borrow you?" She _almost_ wasn't surprised when the book nudged itself out of the self and hung in the air in front of her. "I'll take that as a 'yes', then..." she laughed softly. This world would never cease to amaze her. She gently took the book and walked towards the exit when she felt another pull in the opposite direction.

Intrigued, she followed the urge – she had only just discovered the existence of magic, but she had no reason to argue with it. She walked tentatively to what appeared to be the back corner of the library – it was quite a walk due to the vastness of the room. There, she heard a sound, like someone was scribbling on paper. Standing behind a large column next to one of the shelves, she peeked around it. Nearly gasping in surprise, she clasped a hand to her mouth as to not disturb the person she saw. Sitting behind a large desk, Loki was writing furiously on a piece of parchment, lost in concentration.

What surprised her most of all was his appearance; the last time she'd seen him, he had looked ill. His hair had been long, wild and matted with dirt and blood, and the skin of his face had had a sickly complexion. Now, he was practically reformed. His raven black hair was cut to neck-length, and his face has a healthier glow, though his skin was still very pale. But it suited him, she observed. The dark bruises under his eyes were still there, but not nearly as bad as it had been. Now, looking at him unnoticed, she noted that he looked younger and more relaxed. She could even acknowledge that he was actually very handsome – not that it was a surprise, as every single being here was beautiful...she couldn't quite admit to herself how attractive she found him. He was fascinating to watch, and she wondered what he was writing. Nevertheless, she didn't want to disturb him. She was hardly ready for a one on one meeting with him. As quietly as she could, she retreated and practically tiptoed back to the exit where she finally sighed in relief.

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**AN: I hope you continue to read, enjoy and review :)**


	7. Chapter 6 Maze and Magic

**Author's Notes**: Thanks for all kind words and suggestions and especially to those I can't PM personally to thank! Stay with me, there is still a lot to come. This story is unraveling in a way I hadn't quite anticipated (had originally planned 8-10 chapters, it's obviously going to be longer than that since I keep taking family-detours…).

**Also**, someone pointed out something in a review about the significance of short hair in Norse mythology, which I would like to address: While that may well be true for the Vikings (although I cannot presently remember to have seen/read that before), Loki's hair is now neck-length as it was in the movie "Thor" – it hasn't exactly been shaved... Frigg cutting it does not signify that she thinks of him as a slave, I meant it as a mother's caring gesture of nurturing for a son who had been away for a long time and not been taken care of by anyone, least of all by himself.

**Sif vs. Siv:** I should have known someone would point that out. In my language, the name Sif is _Siv_. So I made a conscious decision to change it to Siv because…it simply looks/sounds better in my head. I made the same decision with changing e.g. Asgard to Åsgard etc.  
First posted 31 October 2012.

_The disclaimer from before still stands – I do not own any characters and I make no money, it's just for fun. _

**Music**: "Love Like a Sunset Part I" by Phoenix, "Wild at Heart" by Birds of Tokyo (search for "Loki Wild at Heart on youtube, there is a brilliant fanvideo, I can't stop watching it even though I originally didn't like the song), "An End Has a Start" by Editors, "The Walker" by Gayngs.

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Maze**

"One right route  
But so many twists and turns  
Sometimes you walk straight into a wall  
In a deep pit you may fall  
At the next turn the road splits into a fork  
Left or right  
Which way will work?"  
_-Islamic poem (author unknown)_

Once outside the library and her close encounter with Loki, Jane took a few deep, shaky breaths. It wasn't until now the adrenaline kicked in. No, she didn't fear him as such, but that didn't mean she harbored any desire of meeting him alone yet, either. The sight of him had made her nervous in a way she couldn't quite identify. She didn't linger, but quickly walked towards one of several doors that would lead her outside. She was fighting an urge to run through the palace, and it made her feel like a school girl trying to avoid being caught breaking the rules.

Soon enough, Jane reached the courtyard in front of the palace. The sunlight shone brightly and she had difficulties adjusting to the change of light from the darkness of the library. There were quite a few people in the courtyard; some guards quietly standing on their posts, and other people she had never seen before. While the palace itself was usually quite empty except for visitors who had requests or grievances before Odin, the courtyard was bustling with life. There were a few merchants, groups of people talking and some getting on horseback, ready to ride off to who knew where. Jane wanted peace and quiet, and looked around to find a more secluded area. She didn't really know where to go; all the places Thor had taken her had been loud and of full of people everywhere. Walking around the courtyard, along the edges, she finally saw a rather small gate, and she opened it carefully to see where it led.

Tall walls of trees, intertwined with bushes and flowers rose up on both sides of her, leaving only a narrow but straight path ahead of her. It was a maze, and Jane grinned happily. This was more like it – not a living soul in sight, and she would get her urge for exploring satisfied. She followed the path forward – gingerly at first – but more confident after a few turns. She wanted to run forward to find the center, like a child on a treasure hunt, but she paced herself. She was in no hurry at all. While the walls of the maze looked almost solid some places, there were patches here and there where the leaves had been thinned out. If she wanted, she could take a couple of shortcuts or peek through to look ahead – but that would be cheating, she decided.

After a long but strangely refreshing walk, she finally reached the center: She'd call it a clearing except for the trees that made out a small garden forest. Looking closer, she discovered that she was very close to the palace; one of the walls – she didn't know which as she had lost her sense of direction a long time ago – was partially hidden behind the trees, and water came out of it, making a wonderful waterfall into a pond in the middle of the trees. Jane then found a bench, made out of wood. She had mistaken it for a fallen tree at first, but as she approached it, she saw that it was elegantly carved out. It almost looked soft to sit on. The pond glittered in the sunlight, and all she could hear were a few birds tweeting calmly. The place had such peace and serenity; it was all she could ask for after her first hectic days in Åsgard. She sat down on the bench and closed her eyes for a few moments, just listening to the silence.

"Best. Fieldtrip. Ever." She said aloud to herself. Then she opened the book and began to read.

** LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Unbeknownst to Jane, Loki had known he was being watched in the library. It was hardly surprising, he had always been very observant, but being alone and dependent on his senses to be able to survive for a long time, they had been sharpened even more since he was last on Åsgard. Very little escaped his attention. The library was a place he had enjoyed as a child – knowledge was fascinating to him, and here it was available in all shapes and sizes, ready for him to absorb as he wished. There would always be a book he hadn't read yet, a fact he relished immensely.

And even if he didn't study, he could stay there for hours pondering or writing. He had been lost in thought when he'd heard someone enter, and had stayed completely still for a while, listening. After a while the _intruder_ had come closer, and he had busied himself scribbling down random spells on a paper to give the impression he was oblivious to his or her presence. The person came closer, and he knew he was being watched when he felt a prickling in the back of his neck. As the other person left after a few moments, he had already deducted who it had been – unless it was a curious guard, anyone else there would have made their presence known to him. He came to the conclusion that it had been Thor's little Midgardian friend, Jane Foster.

Now that he was alone again, he found himself thinking about her – really thinking about her – for the first time since his return to Åsgard. He was the first to admit he had been surprised when Thor invited her to come back with them during their hasty escape from S.H.I.E.L.D. Even more so, when she agreed after only a few seconds. He had to give it to her, she was obviously brave – or foolish – to leave everything behind just like that and jump headfirst into the unknown. As far as he knew, she was not on S.H.I.E.L.D.s bad side, and her escape with them could cause problems for her upon her return, he suspected.

She as a person puzzled him a little in general – she didn't seem like many of the other mortals he had encountered. And while he wouldn't go as far as to call her fearless, she had an air of independence and subtle confidence about her that he hadn't seen except for in the people of Åsgard. As much as he hated to admit it, she intrigued him. Even before he had met her, he realized the impact she had obviously had on Thor during his absence. The strangeness he felt about her only increased when he had tried to read her back in the S.H.I.E.L.D. cell. "_Breath of Life_". What did it _mean_? Of course he had encountered beings he hadn't been unable to read before, although it was rare. Everyone and everything gave off something for him to catch up, if he only looked hard enough. Mortals were usually so easy to read – they wore their feelings and personality and motives on their sleeves. It hardly took a nudge for them to reveal everything. He would have to push harder with this particular mortal, he concluded.

As it were, his magic was bound and mostly out of reach. He could still conjure up a little flare of magic now and then, but far from enough to do anything of significance. That was the punishment he had been given by Odin, after a long and surprisingly civilized discussion. Initially he had been convinced he would be locked away and forgotten; to be considered the shame of the family or a traitor to Åsgard. Instead he had been met with compassion and mercy, and it confused him. It didn't add up with his memories from his last days on Åsgard before he had plunged into the universe. His mother…- he couldn't quite bring himself to call Thor and Odin brother and father, but his mother was the same as she had always been. Frigg had spent many hours with him trying to explain everything from their point of view. And he had listened, as he always had when she spoke. There was no possible way for him to distrust her as he distrusted Thor and Odin. She had been present every time he met Odin and Thor – wisely so, since the men were all somewhat short-tempered. Frigg was a soothing balm to them, and reminded them all of days long gone, when they still had been a family. So his punishment had been restricted use of magic and restricted movements; were he to leave the palace grounds, he was to ask permission from Odin. Not that it was really necessary. Without his magic he couldn't hide from Heimdall's sight, and Loki knew the golden god would be watching him very carefully.

More than anything, he felt his punishment was to make him feel like an insolent child. He was grounded indefinitely. No, Loki did not like it one bit – but it was better than the alternatives he had thought up while still on Midgard. He told himself he didn't care, and he was already trying to find a way to access his magic without Odin noticing, but he wasn't getting anywhere, except for getting bored. Very bored indeed. Maybe that was his main reason to find out more about Jane Foster, the mortal astrophysicist currently walking around unguarded on these very grounds.

Loki left the library and began walking around rather aimlessly. Partly because he had nothing else to do, and partly because he wanted to find _her_. How he wanted to proceed once he found her was unclear to him, but then again he had always had a knack for improvising…

After he had searched the palace without results he went outside, ignoring the wary looks from passer-bys. He silently thanked the _Nornir_ for not running into Thor and his friends whom he had no wish to encounter yet. Finally, he walked into the gardens surrounding the palace. There were many different ones; some obviously created with intricate symmetry and designs, others were parts of ancient natural forests that been enclosed there with the building of the city thousands of years ago. With the help of his own magic among others, the different gardens could now transform and appear to fit the visitor's mood and subconscious wishes – an achievement he was quite proud of and had had good use of. When he longed for solitude, he could hide away here and not be found. His wishes usually brought him to the older forests that seemed to stretch on forever. Other Åsgardians usually preferred the more modern ones, with more light and order. Frigg for instance, could usually be found surrounded by large, open meadows of flowers.

Today, his feet led him to the maze. He hadn't been there in ages, but he had often played here with Thor when they were much younger. Then, they had played hide and seek and Thor had rarely been able to find him as Loki used magic to slip through the walls or blend in like a chameleon. Now, he followed the twists and turns in a slow, deliberate pace. He felt exhilarated by the hunt and as he reached the middle of the maze and finally found his prey, his previous feeling of boredom was blown away. The mortal, Jane, was sitting on a bench completely absorbed in a book from the library. Loki conjured up a tiny bit of his magic which he knew would be enough to divert her attention away from him. While he wasn't invisible, the spell worked so the presence of his energy went unnoticed by her. He went closer to her, but stayed along the edges of the maze. His green tunic and dark brown breeches helped camouflage him that way. He stood as still as a stone while he watched her.

She was sitting with her legs drawn up under her, leaning slightly to the side on one of the arm rests of the wooden bench. The book was about the stars of Åsgard, and he smirked knowingly to himself. That was hardly a surprise, from what little he knew about her. He was soon fascinated by her silent concentration as she read; she would sometimes make gestures with her right hand, like she was making notes on an invisible piece of paper. Now and then she would make a low sound in an approving tone of voice. She was oblivious to him standing just a few meters away from her.

After a while, she stood up and stretched, startling Loki with her sudden movement. She had her back turned toward him, but he was still in danger of being discovered if she turned. He held his breath and tightened his mental grip on the diversion spell. Jane rolled her neck side to side a couple of times, releasing the tension in her shoulders, but then she stopped, tensing up. Loki smiled. She was on to him. She looked over her shoulder, but her gaze wandered past him at first. Her upper body shook slightly as she got a chill down her spine, her body reacting to being watched. Maybe not all mortals were as hopelessly unperceptive as he'd thought. It wasn't exactly manipulation, but it was definitely fun to see her react to the shifts of his energy. She had relaxed a little again, but still looked alarmed and a little confused as she took a few steps towards the pond, her left side facing Loki. He decided it was enough – he wanted to be found. Slowly, he loosened the grip on the spell, and could practically hear the hairs on her neck stand up. He knew he had appeared seemingly out of thin air at the edge of her vision, and her head turned swiftly towards him even if he hadn't made a sound. Her golden-brown eyes found his emerald green as hers widened in surprise. He waited for her to respond to his presence, smirking slightly.

"How the hell did you do that?" she blurted out, sounding a little angry. He couldn't blame her for that; it was the reaction most people had when he snuck up on them. Yet, Loki was surprised and a little disappointed. Shouldn't she be afraid of him? Run away screaming or tremble before him like other mortals had done?

He raised his head a little. "Magic, of course." he said, as if that should be obvious. She snorted, annoyed with the arrogant answer.

"I don't see how that explains the question of _how_. Besides, didn't anyone ever teach you that sneaking up on people like that is rude?" she replied. As soon as she had spoken, she paled a little. Had she just remembered who she was talking to?

Not revealing any thoughts, he smiled as he walked towards her. "I would imagine that _rudeness_ is not the biggest flaw people usually see in me." he said lightly.

Jane smiled a little then, even as she folded her arms across her chest defensively.

"As for my…trick, it is simply a manifestation of my wish to stay hidden from someone. If you subdue your energy aura, people are less likely to notice you are there." He continued nonchalantly, briefly wondering why he was bothering to explain it to her at all.

She looked surprised as well. "Magic…and science." She said slowly. "Seems to be a lot of that going on here."

"Oh you have not seen anything yet," Loki said eyeing her playfully. "I could show you some truly wonderful…'tricks', but I am unfortunately not in a position to do so at the moment."

"Yeah I heard." Jane replied, and instantly regretted it, when Loki's eyes narrowed.

"And who told you that, if I may ask?" he said slowly, raising himself up taller so she had to bend her neck back to look at him.

"Odin did." she whispered, worried she had angered him somehow.

She jumped in surprise when he mirthlessly barked out a laugh.

"The All-father told _you_ – a mere visiting mortal – about my punishment for my misbehaving?" he said deliberately inquiringly. "Now why would he do that, I wonder?"  
He circled around her, making her have to turn around on the spot to keep him within her sight.

"…unless you are not a mere _visiting_ mortal." he continued, stopping in front of her and leaning forward so close he could feel her breath on his face.

Jane swallowed.

"I don't understand what you're trying to get at." she said as calmly as she could, though her heart was racing. Something was happening and she wasn't sure it was good.

"Then allow me to rephrase. Why did Thor bring you here?" he asked bluntly.

"Thor promised me to show me Åsgard last time he was on earth" she told him honestly. "This is part of my research, I was working on figuring out the Einstein-Rosen Bridge – the Bifrost – before Thor came crashing down."

Loki straightened up again and looked down at her.  
"So we are research to you? This-" he gestured to their surroundings- "is for your scientific purposes? You will figure it all out here, and then go back to Midgard and – what? Create your own little Bifrost to travel around with?" He snarled, well aware that he was being mean but unable to stop himself.

"Of course not! That's…that's not what I said!" she exclaimed, confused and a little angry.

"Then you plan to stay here? To be courted by my oaf of a brother and become Queen of Åsgard? Oh I do hope he is attentive to you and all your …needs." he continued his swarm of questions as he circled around her once again.

"God, no! What are you going on about? I'm not the one with ulterior motives, I'm not the one trying to take over the world – that was you!" she snapped at him.

He stopped, willing the flare of rage that had risen in him to withdraw. If he continued this, he would lose his temper. Unfortunately, Jane Foster had already lost hers.

She turned to face him and pointed a finger at him.

"I don't care who you are here: Back in my world you are a wanted war criminal who killed a lot of people, tried to kill my friends, possessed a couple of them, and pretty much demolished New York City – all for the purpose of enslaving the human race! And you know what?" -she jabbed her finger into his chest- "I let that go, because you are Thor's brother and I believe in second chances for people who make mistakes even if they are mistakes of a kind that should have you locked up for eternity, which is more than just an expression here…I let all of that go, and you dare to come here and insinuate that I have selfish and harmful motives as well as insinuate very rude things about Thor and me?! How _dare_ you?" She was livid, and had raised her voice considerably.

Loki was stunned. For a few seconds he was floating between shock, amusement, anger and being impressed with her for talking back at him, but in the end, anger won.

Within a fraction of a second, he had twirled her around and had her arms pinned against her back, leaning into and over her body. She yelped in pain and surprise. With his left hand holding her arms together, he used his right to pull her hair so she was looking back and up at him.

"I would suggest you take care of how to speak to me, Jane Foster." He hissed between his clenched teeth.

"First of all, politeness goes both ways. You can't expect people to be polite to you when you're not polite to _them_." She shot back, her voice a little shaky. Whether or not it was from anger or fear, he couldn't tell. "Second, I am under the direct protection of Odin, Thor and Heimdall, so unless you want your punishment to be severely extended, I _suggest_ you let go of me!"

Loki loosened his grip on her. She was, amazingly enough considering the circumstances, completely right. But he wasn't quite done. He leaned over and breathed silkily into her ear: "Next time, maybe you should not presume to know the person you are talking to." He let go of her.

"As it is, I apologize for my rash reaction, Lady Jane" he said formally, as he gave her a sarcastic bow.

Jane looked at him as if he was mad. But she did not run, though her eyes were filled with tears.

"You know Loki, if you have questions, I'll be happy to answer them for you the best I can." she said, ruffling her hair. "Just don't be an asshole about it."

Loki said nothing, he just stared wonderingly at this woman – this ordinary, mortal woman – who refused to budge even when threatened with violence. Except for his family, those few who had been the closest to him during his growing up, no one had ever called him on his behavior or on his bluffs of intimidation. He felt lost.

"Who _are_ you?" he asked, quietly.

_I've been walking for days  
I wore out my shoes  
There's a dust storm approaching  
And everything will change  
_- "The Walker", Gayngs

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**AN: Please enjoy and review!**


	8. Chapter 7 Bound

**Author's Notes:** Readers and reviewers, you are amazing. Your support is so important to me. Over 70 reviews so far, the magic number 100 approaching (my offer of a one-shot for the 100th review still stands)...  
Posting this chapter a little earlier than intended because I have to go away for a few days and won't have time to write. _First posted 9 November 2012._

**Warnings:** Some of you might get a little upset at the end of this chapter. In advance, I'm sorry.

**Music:** "Where I end and you begin" by Radiohead, "_Varúð_" by Sigur Rós, "Dance Dance Dance" by 65daysofstatic and "Kolniður" by Jónsi.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Bound**

_There's a gap in between__  
__There's a gap where we meet__  
__Where I end and you begin(…)  
I am up in the clouds__  
__I am up in the clouds__  
__And I can't and I can't come down__  
__I can watch and can't take part__  
__Where I end and where you start  
- _Radiohead

Jane sighed and sat down on the carved wooden bench. It had taken her all her will power and self-control not to panic; first when she saw Loki in front of her, later when she talked back to him and he lost control of his anger. The whole time during their physical encounter she had mentally chanted for him to not hurt her – in spite of what Frigg had said, she found it difficult to trust in it, especially when he grabbed her. It had hurt a little, but it was mostly the thought of what he _could_ do to her and the adrenaline that had brought tears to her eyes. In the end, putting her faith in Frigg had proved to be a wise decision. He seemed calm now, almost subdued. He clearly didn't understand why she hadn't panicked, tried to fight him or flee from him.

"Who am I?" she asked back. "I'm just me. You already know who I am, Loki. Jane Foster from earth; scientist, sometimes S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant and friend of Thor – which was by pure accident." she continued as she leaned against the back rest.

"By accident? What do you mean?" Loki said, moving closer to the bench where she sat.

"I mean that when we saw the Bifrost, when Thor was banished to earth, we drove towards it, and we…hit him with our car." Jane still cringed a little at the memory.

"You hit him? The Mighty God of Thunder? With a car?" Loki asked, unbelieving before he threw his head back and laughed.

It was hard to follow his apparent mood swings, but she relaxed when he laughed – unlike before, it sounded more genuine. And although she felt a little bad laughing at Thor's expanse, she figured it was a way to break the tension that appeared between Loki and her.

"Yeah it was..it wasn't on purpose, but we did. And then again later, when we went to look for him at the hospital." She said, causing another outburst of laugh from the God of Mischief.

"Come on, it's not that funny!" she said just as a grin started to spread on her face.

"Actually, it is." he snickered, trying to compose himself.

"_Why_ is it so funny?" she asked him.

Loki sobered up a little. "You know him as he is now, yes? How was he when you first met him?" he replied with a new question as he sat down beside her on the bench on the opposite side. He was looking intently at her, and Jane noticed that his eyes looked different from when she had seen him for the first time. They looked darker somehow, more natural – she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She did her best to ignore his close proximity and thought about his question. "He was very proud, and a little arrogant, as I seem to recall." She looked away from him. "I thought he was deranged, the way he talked about gods and magic hammers. But he was always – well, _almost_ always – polite." she finally answered.

"Why do you think he changed?" Loki said, glancing at her before he turned away to look over the pond, away from her. He looked thoughtful, sitting with his arms on his knees with his hands touching his chin.

"We didn't talk much about it. But something broke in him when he was unable to get the hammer back. I think he thought that it would solve everything, if he only got it back. When he couldn't lift it, I guess he realized that his own actions had led him there, and that he couldn't come home. I think he felt lost and scared and that does something to you as a person. It humbles you. When you believe all is lost, you reconsider yourself as a person and your life. Hopefully to the better." Jane mused.

Loki was silent for a while, looking out over the pond.

"But not always." he murmured, so softly Jane could barely hear him.

Jane understood what he meant, and she didn't reply. There really wasn't much she could contribute with – his demons were his own, so she said nothing.

They sat there in silence, both pondering their own questions. As minutes passed, Loki found that there was something calming in just sitting there in silence, without having to talk, argue or fight.

Before Thor's banishment, before everything went so horribly wrong, his life as the younger prince hadn't been difficult.

He had never been in the centre of attention like Thor had. He had believed it was something he envied, but as he sat there with the mortal – Jane – he wondered if he really had envied Thor all that much. Maybe it hadn't been the amount of attention he had craved.

He had always been one for mischief, which was well-known among the people of Åsgard. But had he been mischievous to get attention or had he gotten attention for being mischievous?

Loki couldn't remember, it was all so long ago. But what he did know was that almost no one had ever sought him out unless it was to get help with a prank, or ask for him to tell a story or a jest.

As much as he tried, he couldn't think of anyone – except for his closest family – that had come to him just to be in his company, without any requests.

Now, as he was sitting next to the woman he had come close to attacking just minutes ago, he realized it was the first time in ages where he could just _be_.

Jane didn't want anything from him. She didn't waste his time with silly japes or jests. Had it been the other way around, he would have left to avoid being in the presence of a potential harmful person. But she stayed. She offered him company and silence – and it suddenly felt as if it was all he had wanted all along.

It wasn't an easy feeling for him to handle; he still thought of her as Thor's woman. She was an insignificant mortal who he didn't know or trust. Yet he felt comfortable in her company.

He didn't understand it, and it annoyed him.

Jane had been sitting with her attention tuned on Loki for a while, but when it became clear that he wasn't in a talking mood anymore, she opened her book discreetly and continued to read. But her heart wasn't in it anymore. She tried to focus on the book, but was too aware who she was sitting there with. Aside of being rattled by the fact that they were sitting there calmly after having fought minutes ago, she wondered what he was thinking about. Trying not to be too obvious about it, she cast a quick glance at him now and then. He was sitting so still – it reminded her of a statue she had seen in a park in Oslo, the capital of Norway that she had visited once during a trip to Scandinavia with Erik.

She and her mentor had been doing research north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden and Norway during winter time. It had been dark 24 hours a day, as it was during the months of winter – with an amazingly bright night sky. It had only occasionally been interrupted by the northern lights that bathed the wild, vast landscape in an eerie green and yellow glow. The jagged mountains had seemed alive, trolls and goblins and shadows dancing everywhere she looked.

If there was magic on earth that was one of the closest encounters she had had with it. On their way back to the US, they had stopped in Oslo for a couple of days, and gone to a park filled with statues of humans in all shapes and sizes.

It had struck her how incredible life-like they had been, all of them portraying different states of mind and movements, from the whole spectre of human emotions. The statue she was now thinking back to had been larger than a normal man. Its face had been thoughtful, with a hint of pain in its features as if the man had been pondering his own unfortunate decisions until he turned to stone. It was the exact look Loki had on his face now as he was gazing over the pond without really looking at it.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

The sun had begun to set, Jane realized with a shock. Had they been sitting here that long? It had still been morning when she found the maze, and though she would be the first to admit that she lost track of time when she was reading, she couldn't quite believe that she had spent the whole day – partly with Loki by her side – here. She put the book together and moved. Loki finally snapped out of his thoughts and turned his head the tiniest bit towards her. She met his eyes and gave him a small smile.

"I think I'd better go and find some food, it's been forever since I last ate." she said with an apologetic smile as she stood up on stiff legs.

Loki turned his head towards the pond again. "It has hardly been forever, I sincerely doubt you even know what forever means." he replied dryly, without interest.

Jane's heart sank. He was back to that mood again then. She suddenly missed the sound of his laugh. She fought the urge to tell him it was just an expression, wanting to uphold the unspoken truce between them.

"No, you're right. I have no idea what forever means." she told him, and turned around to leave.

Suddenly, a low rumbling filled the air, breaking the air of silence and calm. It sounded ominous and out of place – but she probably would not have thought of it hadn't it been for Loki's reaction.  
He jumped up from the bench and was already close to the first turn of the maze which led back to the exit. He stopped for a second and turned back to her.

"You might want to hurry, Jane Foster." he said. "It would seem that your 'vacation' on Åsgard is coming to an end."

"Wh-what?" Jane said in confusion, but Loki had already disappeared behind the wall.

She bolted after him.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Heimdall had gone to Odin the moment the magic sustaining the portal between Midgard and Åsgard had begun to falter. Odin was already aware of course, and Heimdall found him in the chamber where Odin conducted his spells. It was a rather small room, underneath the Throne Room. A large orb hung in the middle of the otherwise empty room, omitting a warm light. The All-father was whispering angrily to himself, holding his hands close to the orb, but not touching it. Heimdall noted that the orb had dark spots spreading over it, and shook his head.

"It is not holding as well as we had hoped, then?" he asked the ancient ruler of Åsgard.

"No." Odin replied shortly, not moving from his task. "I always knew it was a risk to use this kind of magic, but it went so well when we sent Thor to Midgard to retrieve Loki… Now, it is falling apart." he continued, his voice strained.

"The process of creating a new Bifrost is going to take more time, All-father, as you well know. The good thing is that all citizens of Åsgard are accounted for, and safe." Heimdall told him.

"Yes…that is good news indeed." Odin said. "But the mortal girl is still here."

Heimdall let his golden gaze stretch farther. "She…is on her way. As is Loki." he said, his brow furrowing momentarily. "I will have a message sent for prince Thor." he said, and quickly left.

Moments later, Loki entered the room. He was followed by Jane, who was breathing hard from the run to keep up with Loki's long strides. He looked completely unfazed by the fast pace, and Jane bitterly wished she was in better shape, even if she knew her physique could never match any of theirs.

"If you want her to be sent back, it has to be soon." Loki said calmly. "I can _smell_ the decay of this magic – you should never have attempted to keep it open for so long... Although that was not your fault." He continued, with a short glance at Jane who was still doubled over trying to regain her breath.

She caught the hidden message. "This is because of me? I didn't know, I'm so sorry." she panted.

"No, Jane Foster. This is not your doing, not at all." Odin reassured her, giving Loki a stern look.

Loki smiled wickedly. "No, it is not your fault, Jane, it is Thor's. As usual, he went with his impulses and brought you here, even if he knew that the Bifrost was broken." His voice was hard and unkind, and Jane kept her eyes on Odin who gave her a small wink in support. Or had she imagined that from the lack of oxygen in her lungs? Surely Odin the All-father didn't _wink_ at her?

Her random and chaotic thoughts were interrupted by another rumbling sound, but this time it was familiar. Thor burst in the door, gusts of wind from his rushing there following and spreading around the small room.

"Jane! Are you alright?" he said urgently, rushing over to her.

"I'm fine, how was _your_ day?" she asked him, a hint of playful irony in her voice. Loki quirked an eyebrow at her. "I have no idea what's going on, you should ask them." she continued quickly, and nodded towards Odin and Loki.

"What is happening?" Thor asked, looking at Odin, not quite daring to meet the eyes of his brother.

"The magic I used to bring you and your brother –" Loki rolled his eyes at the word " – back from Midgard is disintegrating." Odin explained.

"You have to send her back to her own world before it is too late." Loki added, sounding bored.

But if he was that indifferent, then why was he even there? Jane thought.

Thor looked back at Jane with something similar to panic in his eyes. He was at a loss for words.

Jane swallowed, her heart breaking at the thought of leaving so soon, but at the same time worried about not being able to make it back to her own world. "Do it then." she said, a lump in her throat making it hard to speak. "I don't want to cause any problems for you."

Thor just shook his head slowly, while Odin looked at her with an expression of approval.

"It is unstable." Loki told them. "At this rate, it could implode any minute." He looked at Odin. "Unless _someone_ manages to keep it stable enough." Odin held his gaze calmly, until Loki was the one to look away first.

Heimdall took a step forward. "My King, the other side of the portal has been found by the mortal's father."

"Erik?" Jane gasped, not bothering to point out that he wasn't her father. It was close enough.

"Then he can help!" she shouted. "He knows what I know about my research on the wormholes, we have a device that can act as a stabilizer, it's keeping the energy levels monitored and in balance." she continued, her words rushing out. If there was time, Erik could bring her back by keeping the portal – wormhole – in check so she could pass through safely.

"Can we get word to him?" Thor asked Heimdall and Odin.

"There isn't time!" Loki hissed.

Jane had already scribbled down a note from a page she had ripped out of the book. Normally, she would never defile a book like that, but nothing about this situation was normal. She ran over to Odin with it.

"If he gets this, he can help keeping it open long enough for me to get back – please?" she urged.

She loved Åsgard, and wanted little more than to spend more time there. But the timing was off; she shouldn't have gone without making sure she could get back. Even as much as she enjoyed being there, it was a strange world – and she had no plans of being stuck there indefinitely. She had left without word to Erik and Darcy, and knew they must be worried sick about her. If the choice was between getting stuck and going back, she would prefer leaving now over not knowing when she could go home. She found find another way to go back to Åsgard now that she knew it was possible, that she was certain of.

"Thor and Heimdall, take her to the Bifrost. Send the note through and I will keep it open here." Odin decided. "Heimdall knows when it's safe to pass through; it will take you back to your world. Go now, do not linger!" he barked at them.

Everything happened at once; Thor grabbed Jane while Loki rushed over to Odin. Jane never heard what he said, because suddenly they were flying through the hallways of the palace and out towards the broken rainbow bridge. Heimdall appeared seconds later.

The portal had already opened when they got there, a thin sliver of dark yellow light – it didn't look quite as it had when they had escaped S.H.I.E.L.D. and it made her even more nervous. She was not excited about going into that _thing_ on her own.

Heimdall gave her a nod and she threw the note in, watching it get sucked in and disappear.

Moments later, a paper was propelled through the portal; Heimdall caught it with a movement so swift Jane didn't register it. It was from Erik.

"_Received, go ahead I'll do my part_" it read.

"So do I just go through then?" Jane asked, unsure of what happened next.

"How long does Erik need?" Thor asked.

Just then, the portal glowed brighter, white light spreading towards the edges.

"Now." Heimdall told them.

Jane looked at Thor with a little regret. "Thor, I will continue to research, and hopefully we can…" she was at a loss for words.

"We shall meet again, and soon." Thor reassured her as he gave her a smothering hug.

Jane didn't take it as a promise this time; they both knew it could be longer than 'soon'. But they both also knew that there were ways to reach each other now. They just had to find them.

Heimdall screwed up his face in concentration, but they did not notice as they were saying good-bye to each other.

"God, it's too soon!" she exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. She smiled. "I'll see you on the other side, then." She smiled bravely. She took a step towards the portal.

"Stop!" Heimdall boomed, just as she was about to go through. She froze in her steps.

"Something is wrong." Heimdall said, uncertainty colouring his deep voice. The light from the portal grew stronger, but darkened at the same time. It blinded her.

All of a sudden, someone yelled from the end of the bridge. "Thor! Get away!" It was Loki, but he was too far away to do anything, even had he had his magic.

"Prince Thor, get back!" Heimdall shouted.

Thor didn't hesitate. Again he grabbed Jane and urged _Mjǫlnir _to shoot away from the light that grew ever stronger, making the same rumbling noise Jane and Loki had heard in the maze.

They almost reached Loki when they realized the light from the portal had disappeared; a short silence followed by the echo from an enormous explosion filled the quiet evening. The portal had imploded, and the air from the aftershock sent them tumbling towards the floor of the bridge.

Jane screamed. She was flying through the air, but without the safe arms of Thor around her. She hit the bridge with a thud, sliding along the smooth surface. Her right side of her face got scraped up as she slid towards the edge. Quicker than a thought, Loki leaped towards her and grabbed her arm, stopping her from falling over. She got up quickly, looking around in desperation. Loki let go of her and took a couple of steps backwards, his hair tousled and his face pale but unreadable.

"What the hell happened?!" she yelled, her voice ringing out in the silence that followed.

Thor walked towards her and Loki. "My thanks, Loki." he said carefully.

"You should have listened to me." Loki snapped at him. "Not that you ever did."

Thor lowered his head. "Yes, I should have." he simply said.

Jane looked at Thor with wide eyes. "Someone tell me what happened!" she said, her voice shivering with panic. It hadn't sounded like an explosion close to _them_.

Heimdall appeared. He had jammed his sword into the bridge, thus avoiding to be blown off it.

"There was an explosion on the other side. The portal could not be kept stable enough. My apologies, Lady Jane." he said, his voice full of compassion.

Thor took her hand, and she shook it off, not understanding or not wanting to.

"What do you _mean_?" she said, her teeth gritted together. Her chest tightened dangerously.

"The portal is irrevocably sealed off." Loki said, in almost a whisper.

Thor just looked at her, and at Loki, with anguish in his eyes.

"Jane, the explosion…" he shook his head.

"It wasn't here. What about Erik?" she asked, unbelieving. "What about Erik?!" she shouted.

Thor tried to take her hands in his again, but she wrenched away from all of them, feeling cornered by their quiet compassion and regret.

"Jane, please…I am so sorry. I do not think he could have made it."

Every fiber in Jane's body snapped, at least that is what it felt like. She shook her head. "You tell me I am bound to be here, while Erik is… maybe he's hurt, or…he's not dead. No. He's not. No." she told them. She retreated slowly away from them.

"No." she said again, her voice sounding strangled to her.

Reality began to seep into her consciousness. _Erik_. Good, wonderful, loving Erik, who had taken better care of her than her parents ever could have. Erik, who had introduced her to science and taught her about the stars from since she was old enough to speak.  
Erik, who had travelled around the world and chased the wonderful phenomena of the night sky with her. Erik who was her family more than her biological family had ever been. Images, memories flashed before her eyes, she didn't even see the three demi-gods anymore.

Jane put her hands to her face, clutching her skin as her feet gave in and she fell hard to her knees.

A heart wrenching sob rose from her throat, as guilt and anger and unspeakable grief washed over her, making her curl up momentarily. "Nononononononononononono-_NO_!" Her whisper ended in a scream when Thor knelt beside her, offering her comfort. She pushed him away, and stumbled to her feet.

"Get away from me! All of you, just…" she choked out.

She did not want comfort. She wanted to get away. She felt trapped; bound to this unfamiliar world with things and people she did not understand or know. Jane did the only thing her instincts would let her do; she turned around and ran.

* * *

**AN: Oh boy, what have I done?**

**The descriptions from Jane's trip to Norway are real. The northern lights are truly amazing, and the park in Oslo exists. If you ever get the chance, visit it - It's called **_**Vigelandsparken**_**. **


	9. Chapter 8 A Shift

**Author's Notes: **So many wonderful reviews, thank you thank you **thank you**! _First posted 19 November 2012_.

**Music: **"Fire and Whispers" by IAMX, "Fall from the Stars" by God is an Astronaut and "Pause" by Nils Frahm.

* * *

**Chapter 8: A Shift  
**_Better this present than a past like that;__  
__Back therefore to my darkening path again!__  
__No sound, no sight as far as eye could strain.__  
__Will the night send a howlet or a bat?__  
__I asked: when something on the dismal flat__  
__Came to arrest my thoughts and change their train._  
"Childe Roland To The Dark Tower Came", Robert Browning

Standing left behind in the wake of the explosion on the other side of the decaying portal, the three men from Åsgard looked at each other uncertainly for a moment before Thor started after Jane.

Loki grabbed his arm and shook his head.

"Someone needs to go after her, she should not be alone!" Thor said urgently, but he stopped when he saw the look on Loki's face.

There was something in his estranged adoptive brother's eyes that silenced him. He saw a vulnerability and certainty there that he couldn't remember having ever seen in those eyes.  
Somehow, though maybe not as surprisingly after his own ordeal, Loki had found a deep understanding for and recognition of Jane's plight.

"Let her go." Loki said softer than he had intended. "There is nothing you can do right now. She ran away for a reason."

Loki wasn't sure what surprised him the most; his sudden feeling of kinship with the mortal woman or the way he spoke to the person he blamed the most for the past years' turmoil, without snarling at him or irony dripping from his voice. Thor just nodded, but cast a worried and longing glance after where Jane had disappeared.

"I believe …Prince Loki is right." Heimdall said. There was a small pause before the word "prince" and it didn't go unnoticed by either of them. Loki was surprised, but hid it well. He had certainly never been a favourite of Heimdall's, and technically he was no prince of Åsgard. The annotation of respect was appreciated, however, though he would never show it. His face was a mask of neutrality, as it always was when confronted with emotions he did not want to admit to others.

"No harm will befall her in being alone with her grief for a while, although eventually one of you should find her." Heimdall continued, letting his golden eyes linger for a moment longer at Loki than Thor. Loki furrowed his brow suspiciously.

"Why would I go after her? She is not _my_…guest." He replied. His snappy comment didn't quite have the usual poisonous edge to it.

Thor looked at them both.

"Jane is a guest of _Åsgard_. But she is my responsibility more than anyone else's. I will find her and talk to her. I do not think it is wise for her to be alone for long." Thor decided.

Heimdall did not look entirely convinced, but let it go. "We should go to the All-Father." He told them both, giving Loki another knowing look.

Loki nodded. Even without his magic, he could be of help. And if he was lucky, Odin might even give him a longer leash to be able to help them further with the broken Bifrost.

"Very well. Then let us go, I should find Jane soon." Thor said, and they swiftly proceeded to find Odin and some answers to what had happened.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

When they found Odin in his Room of Spells, the atmosphere was tense. Heimdall and Loki kept in the back. Thor had not seen his father so angry since he had been banished.

"Father? What happened?" he asked carefully.

"Something I did not anticipate." Odin growled.

Loki looked over to the orb in the middle of the room. The colour had changed; it was now a dark grey with a tint of red in it. It looked wrong, it smelled wrong, and it felt wrong. And yet vaguely familiar, though he could not put his finger on what.

"What do you mean? Erik Selvig is badly injured, perhaps dead and Jane did not have the chance to go through before…whatever happened, happened." Thor said with urgency in his voice. He was confused, upset on Jane's behalf and trying to keep calm. But Odin's anger was unsettling.

"Someone meddled, did they not?" Loki said cautiously, knowing he was right before the reply came.

"Yes." Odin sighed, some of the anger replaced with worry.

"What?! What is going on?" Thor bellowed, worry and anger getting a stronger hold in him. Loki let Odin reply and walked slowly around the orb.

"The dark magic in the orb spoke louder than I had thought." Odin said. "Once opened properly again, with the help of Jane's friend on Midgard, someone – and I cannot be sure of whom – intercepted it and disturbed the balance." He continued.

"How is that possible?" Thor chocked out. He was worried for more than Erik and Jane now.

"They did it on purpose." Loki shot in, still looking at the orb as he was listening to them. "Anyone skilled in magic can detect others' use of magic, and if skilled enough, can trace it and even steal it. Someone has been watching Åsgard, perhaps for a long time – waiting for the right moment." He straightened up and looked at Odin.

"Now they might have found a way in."

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Jane ran. Nothing else mattered but running fast through the ever-darkening night. She ran away from the three men on the broken bridge, through the streets and towards the palace . She passed people; they stopped and watched the mortal run in wild panic without noticing them. She ran like she had the hounds of hell nipping at her heels.

All her thoughts and emotions of pain, grief, guilt and confusion and fear had to give way to the overwhelming urge to get away, filling her body with strength in spite of the fact that she had not eaten since breakfast. That was long-forgotten. It was almost blissful to give in to instinct; Jane was gone and replaced by a being of adrenaline and will-power.

Her subconscious led her in a specific direction; towards the gate and the maze she had so recently hidden away in. But as she approached the area where the entrance to the maze had been, she longed for even more isolation – she didn't want to be found by anyone. Jane couldn't think of anywhere else to go though. She needed to get away; _now_. Suddenly she saw a different gate, if it could be called that. Next to the black gate was an opening between some trees. She could not remember it from earlier that day - the hedge had looked solid then. It looked narrow and dark, and she only hesitated for a split second. She half-jumped, half-pressed herself inside the opening of trees and bushes.

Jane almost stopped when she came through on the other side, but there was no stopping now – even if she did notice that this was nothing like the maze, but a wild-looking and dark forest, growing thicker and more imposing for every step. _More magic_, a small voice told her as her heart pounded and her legs finally began to grow tired. Trees and bushes hit her face and she flailed her arms around in front of her to avoid having to slow down too much.

Finally, she tripped and her feet could no longer keep up the speed. She fell to the ground, but it was covered in moss and she did not hurt herself. Instantly she got to her hands and knees, and just gasped for air. The adrenaline rush was slowly retreating and her body was aching from the exhortation. She bent her head into the moss, holding her hands over her head and screamed loudly once until her voice cracked.

She couldn't move; the reality of what had happened hit her like a wall of water, flushing over her and nailing her to the mossy ground. She stayed in that foetal position as the sobs pressed up through her throat and into the quiet night.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Odin had told them to meet in his council chamber; none of them could stand to be in the presence of the sickening glow of the orb any longer. They needed to discuss what was happening without any distractions. Loki had followed to no protests, although no one spoke to him directly either. That suited him just fine, as it gave him more time to think. Thor was becoming hot-headed, but not quite as he had before his banishment. It was just his worry for Åsgard shining through – in time he would learn the stoic calm which seemed to possess Odin. Loki knew better than to be fooled however; he knew very well – as did the rest of the men in the room – that Odin was very upset indeed. Not for the first time in his long life, Loki was relieved to know the anger was not directed at him.

"We have to do something! Who can be behind this?!" Thor repeated.

"Right now, we do not know, Thor." Odin answered yet again. "I have to replenish before I search again, but I will send out _Hugin_ and _Munin_ while I do. Mayhap they will pick up something."

"Heimdall? Is there nothing you can tell us?" Thor asked, looking at the quiet man.

"I have tried, Prince Thor. My sight is not as good without the connection of the Bifrost. Also, there is something...peculiar with my sight. I cannot see Jane's friend on Earth, I know nothing about his fate. It is like...someone is blocking me." Heimdall said, with a hint of frustration and worry in his deep voice.

"Loki?" Thor turned towards him, his voice almost pleading.

Loki looked at them all in turn, a little defiant – more out of habit than anything else.

"I could do more if I had access to my magic." He stated, looking at Odin.

"Loki, you know very well why I cannot change that now. However, I will consider it. Please tell us what you know." Odin replied, not budging.

"I told you some already. The only explanation I can think of is that someone has been keeping an eye on your use of magic. The orb has been...infested, in a way. It is not safe to use until we know more. This fact weakens us, should this – or these – someone choose to attack. As long as we do not know who or what they are, we cannot prepare fully." He paused.

"As for the connection to the portal to Midgard, I have no explanation of that. Could be that Selvig was under the influence of someone, or that they just took advantage of the situation."

Odin looked tired.

"Who could it be, Loki?" The tone of the question made Loki realize that Odin believed that Loki was part of this somehow, though not by choice.

"I was told...I have many enemies, Father. They could have followed my movements from Midgard to here." Loki said, not even noticing the word he used.

"The _Jotne_ are not advanced enough in magic, unless they had help. They most likely have a price on my head for what I did to Laufey. As for the worst case scenario-" Loki shuddered involuntarily-"Thanos is trying to find me. He did promise..." He drifted off in thought and memories of the unpleasant conversations he had had with The Other.

The room went silent. Except for Loki, the rest of them had barely even heard about Thanos before, but what they had heard was a cause for worry indeed.

"Jane. I need to find Jane. We will not solve anything tonight." Thor finally said, and stood up. Waiting briefly for Odin to nod his approval, he was out of the door in an instant.

"Loki. Whatever comes, we will protect you here." Odin told him. "In the meantime, I would appreciate it greatly if you could come with me to the orb. May be that it holds some answers for us." The All-Father stood up, and waited for Loki to join him to the Room of Spells.

Some time later, after studying the orb and not quite finding anything of use – though there was something there, Loki just couldn't put his finger on it – Thor returned. Without Jane.

While he was gone, Frigg had joined Odin and Loki. She did not have magic as such, but they hoped her visions could tell them something. But Frigg's visions came when they chose to, and could not be forced. They were none the wiser.

"What happened, son?" Odin asked Thor.

Thor looked miserable. "I cannot find her. I searched the gardens. She must be there somewhere, but it is like she doesn't want to be found."

"That is grave news, my dear. But do not fear: I am sure she is fine. If she does not want to be found, it can wait until the morrow." Frigg said.

"How can I leave her out there like that?" Thor asked. "This is my fault!"

"No dearest. It is not your fault. The gardens protect those who seek their solitude – you know that. You should go to your friends. They must know what has transpired. We might need their skills soon enough." She told him, touching his cheek reassuringly.

Thor hung his head in defeat, and left unwillingly.

Frigg turned to Loki once Thor had left. "_Kjæraste son min_, I wonder if you could do something for me?" She asked him.

Loki looked at her, puzzled. "Of course, if I can help." He answered, wondering what she needed of him.

"I would like you to take this – "she handed him a carefully wrapped bundle –"to the forests."

"To the...To the mortal?" he asked, not able to hide his surprise.

"Her name is _Jane_, Loki." Frigg scolded him lightly. "And yes, I want you to take this to her – If you can find her." She continued.

"What in the Nine Realms makes you think I will find her when Thor did not?" he asked her, bewildered.

"You know the forests and gardens much better than Thor does. Maybe they will guide you. You never know, my son. I would like you to try, for Jane's sake. She must be hungry." She said quietly, ignoring the look Odin gave her from the side.

"Very well. I suppose I can take a look." Loki said, entirely convinced that it would be a waste of time. Except he could do with some fresh air – the orb was making him feel nauseous.

He left, and Odin kept staring at Frigg until she had to laugh.

"Do not give me that look, _kjærasten min_!" she told him.

"I am simply curious to what you are up to." He told her, his face showing surprise and suspicion.

Frigg gave him yet another secretive smile, and Odin sighed tiredly. He could never keep up with the schemes of that woman.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Thor walked into the room where his friends usually dwelled in the evenings. It was late and he had not expected them to still be awake, but apparently they had been waiting for him. Siv rushed over to him as soon as she saw him, worry apparent on her face.

"Thor! Is everything well?" She asked him.

The Warriors Three stood up and looked at him. Even now, Thor pondered, late at night and without knowing what lay ahead, they looked ready to follow him with a single word from his lips. He was so grateful for his friends; and ashamed for the times he had not told them so when he should have.

"Oh Siv…" he said, and dumped into one of the soft chairs.

She kneeled beside his chair and grabbed his hand. He looked at her with worried eyes and a heavy heart. Then he looked at Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun; and began recounting the evenings' events to them.

They had their different reactions. Hogun's face was a mask of stone, Fandral looked horrified but determined, Volstagg began fussing about with the food on the nearby table, and Siv…_she might be the bravest one of them_, Thor thought with admiration and a pang of fear.

She returned his worried look with confidence. She didn't know the full scope of it yet, none of them did, but she had already made up her mind that they would emerge victorious – no matter the challenge. Her faith in him, in them and in herself was that great. And Thor had faith in her – he always had. But ever since that day on Midgard, when the Destroyer had been close to defeating them and Siv had offered to sacrifice herself to buy them time, Thor had feared for her.

That was the day he had realized he could not imagine his life without her by his side. She was, for all intents and purposes, his best friend. At least after Loki had turned on him and disappeared out of his life for a time. He doubted he could ever regain that kind of friendship with Loki, but he knew Siv would never leave his side. She was a constant in his life. He could not lose her.

"Thor," she said quietly, "you should get some rest. The Queen is right; if Jane does not wish to be found, there is nothing to be done now."

"I cannot help but worry for her, Siv." He replied. "She is so fragile compared to us; I feel I have to protect her."

Siv smiled. "From what I know of Jane Foster, she is not as fragile as she seems. You _mannfolk_ are always so quick to dismiss us for the weaker sex. But you always were one to protect damsels in distress. No wait! That is Fandral!" she turned around as she teased the blond charmer.

Thor and Volstagg began laughing as Fandral huffed indignantly. Even Hogun smirked.

"It is hardly my fault that they call out for me, Siv!" he said, raising his chin up.

The sinister atmosphere eased up a little. It felt good to laugh after hours of worrying, Thor decided. He brushed away his gloomy mood.

"But Thor, if you want us to help you look for her now, we will – you know that." Siv continued, more serious again.

Thor thought about it.

"If she is not back on the morrow, we will find her together. You are right; Jane can take care of herself. I just wished she would share her pain instead of seeking solitude." He said.

"She will share, when she's ready. That I am sure of." Siv told him, and squeezed his arm reassuringly.

"Who wants supper?" Volstagg interrupted them.

Siv rolled her eyes. "It's only like the third supper he has had since we have been waiting for you," she whispered to Thor.

Thor threw his head back and laughed. He could be merry and enjoy his friends' company – but his mind would continue to drift to Jane for the remainder of the night.

* * *

**AN:** I hope you enjoy (and review)!


	10. Chapter 9 Night in the Forest

**Author's Notes:** I continue to be eternally grateful for you who take the time to make suggestions, ask me questions and send me kind words of encouragement. Big welcome to the new readers!

Whoever gets the **100th review**, I hope you are logged in to receive a PM from me. I'll contact you shortly to ask what kind of one-shot you'd like. Making no guarantees though, but I'll do my best to write about whatever Loki-related issue you want. If it's a anonymous review, I'll just write something that pops into my head. This chapter is the longest so far - I couldn't find a good place to cut it, and the last one was a bit short anyway. Hope this makes up for it. _First posted 27 November 2012_.

**Music:** "Moonlight" by MONO, "Who you gonna run to now?" by Solid Gold and "Tristia" by Hammock.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Night in the Forest**

_I keep my wings strapped back  
I keep my heart in a jar  
You ain't ready for me  
You say you'll keep your catch  
Your fingers crossed in the dark  
You're all touch and go  
Don't wanna be  
Your traps they close too slow  
_-Gayngs, "Faded High"

Jane tried to move. She had no idea how long she had been lying with her face in the moss crying, but she had no more tears to cry and she was sore from tensing her body.

Sobs still rose from her throat now and then, but she could think again. She knew she was in shock, and she was a little surprised how violently her body had reacted once she had turned to run away from the Bifrost. She had never before experienced a physical reaction like that, but then again, she had never before experienced to be stranded in a different world – literally – with the knowledge that her mentor, co-worker and the closest thing she had ever had to a father was in all likelihood dead. And it was her fault. She never should have involved him.

She would probably have been dead in his stead, right now she wished that had been the case. It would have been better than this agony and guilt.

Although she wanted to ignore it, her bodily needs were beginning to become rather persistent. Her stomach protested against the lengthy lack of food. And she was cold. Her clothes were wet from lying in the damp moss, and she remembered she hadn't eaten since that morning. Jane had no perception of time anymore, but she knew it had to be well into the night.

Of course, she could stand up on her feet and walk back to the palace. After all, it wouldn't be a very long walk. But she could not bear the thought to face any of the _Æse_ right now.

Oh, they were kind and understanding and they would support and help her, she knew that. That was part of the problem. They would overwhelm her with kindness and sad looks, and she wouldn't feel like a guest anymore, but a refugee. She couldn't face it.

_In the morning_, she thought. Maybe in the morning, she would return to them and be strong and figure something out together with them.

But for the time being she just felt like being alone, trying to work out the chaotic mess of feelings and angst twirling inside her head before she could act like an independent and strong human being again. She didn't want them to see her so weak. Because she really wasn't – she had enough self-insight and self-respect to know that very well.

She slowly got up on her feet, ignoring the cracking sounds from her legs and back protesting after having being bent in the same position for so long. Gradually, she took in her surroundings. Huge trees, so big they reminded her of Redwood trees loomed around and over her. There were wild rose bushes growing in between the many trunks of the trees, and it was quite dark, so she couldn't see far. The trees were blocking out most of the night sky, but here and there moonlight and the light from the stars came through the leaves. The ground was covered in moss and grass, and she moved over to a patch of grass since it was drier than the moss.

It was very quiet around her, just a soft rustle of leaves high up above her. It was like the forest was soothing her. Some of the trees were bent and crooked, probably after stretching to reach the sunlight after hundreds of years of growing. They bent towards her, making that particular spot feel almost cave-like. Jane felt she was in a cradle of trees. She felt unbelievable safe and comfortable there, now that the worst of her panic had drizzled out of her body.

She all but crawled over to one of the bent trees and leaned against it, finding a comfortable position. There was nothing to eat there, except for leaves perhaps, but Jane couldn't think about eating right now anyway. She was so _tired_. She wanted to sleep forever, forget everything and stay there until she became a part of the forest floor, disappeared into the moss and grass and earth beneath her. Then, she vaguely thought, she would become one with this enchanted forest, and never have to feel anything but joy over the sunlight and the chirping birds, and she would grow into a tall tree, and let the wind rustle through her leaves during a warm summer day.

Jane Foster closed her eyes and slept.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Loki stopped in the courtyard outside the gate of the maze and closed his eyes. He focused his thoughts on the mortal woman, willing himself and the enchanted gardens in front of him to seek her out.

When he opened his eyes, the gate to the maze was gone. He recognized the new entrance, and raised his eyebrows questioningly. Had she really found her way into the ancient forest? Not even many _Æse_ had found that, let alone visiting mortals. It was as old as Åsgard itself and had a will of its own. Loki had always had the impression that the forest preferred to be left alone. It was certainly not a place to take a casual Sunday stroll in. Loki had been "accepted" as a visitor a handful of times, when he wanted to be left alone to think without being disturbed by anyone. He had never encountered anyone else while being there; the forest took its guests privacy seriously.

If Jane was hiding in there, and the forest allowed him to come in and look for her, it could mean that she was in trouble. He felt an unexpected pang of worry for her, and walked through the entrance.

As he moved swiftly but quietly among the trees and undergrowth, he wondered when he had begun to care for her safety. He was a god in the eyes of mortals; the heir to Jotunheim – not that he wanted it – he had powers beyond most magicians and was extremely intelligent. There was no conceivable reason why he should give even the slightest damn about Thor's mortal playmate, or whatever she was to him.

Yet he did, though he was hard-pressed to admit it. Something in him had softened, like in his brother when _he_ first met her. The realization made him angry – he could not afford to become soft. Not if Thanos was coming after him, and Loki was sure it was just a matter of time before he did. Besides, the last time he had cared for someone, really cared for someone, it had ended with rejection. At least that was what it had felt like, hanging off of the broken Bifrost.

"_No, Loki_."

Those two simple words from Odin – not even spoken in anger – had broken his heart. So instead of healing his heart, he had hid it behind a wall of impenetrable convictions; he was alone and always would be, and loving and caring was the same as weakness. It had worked fine to, until his mother began to gently tear the wall down by accepting him back as her son.

Apparently his irrational flush of _feelings_ lately had expanded to include Jane. It must have been because of their meeting in the maze the day before. Somehow, being able to relax in her presence had impacted him. Well, it was just a fluke. So much had been said since he came back, he was bound to need a little time to adjust. He didn't feel like he did after his fall and he supposed that was a good thing in the long run – but he was not going back to the way he was before either: Insecure, sitting around in Thor's shadow, pleading for his father's love. Those days were gone too. Loki was _becoming_; what, he did not yet know. He only hoped he would come out on the other side stronger and smarter than before.

His existential reflections were interrupted by tripping on a gnarly root. _Impossible_, he thought. He did not _trip_. He looked around annoyed, and suddenly realized he had been about to walk right past the small sleeping form of Jane Foster – huddled up in a knot against a bent tree, with her arms hugging herself tightly. _Coincidence? I think not_, Loki thought. He had to smile to himself, and hunched down to give the root a gentle tap with his hand. He leaned over, still crouching, and looked at Jane. She seemed to be asleep, but she was very pale and didn't move at all.

She almost looked peaceful, except for a little pout. At least she wasn't in any physical pain.

Now, able to observe her without her knowing, he studied her face carefully. Her face was grimed with dirt and tears and her hair was tangled and had tiny pieces of moss in it. Her jeans and red sweater looked like they had seen better days. But she was fascinating none the less. He could not explain it, and he felt anger mix in over being fascinated by her in the first place. But ever since he had laid eyes on her in the S.H.I.E.L.D. bunkers, and recently during their confrontation in the maze, he felt drawn to her. The words "breath of life" jolted into his memory. He had not forgotten. He was good at solving puzzles.

His heart beating little faster, Loki leaned even closer and carefully put two fingers on her neck, searching for signs of life. Her skin was warm, and she definitely had a pulse, beating slowly but regularly against his fingertips. He noticed her eyes flutter, and withdrew his hand. She mumbled something incoherent and shifted a little to the other side, towards him. Loki held his breath.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Jane was dreaming. She was back in Puente Antiguo, saying good-bye to Thor. She watched him disappear up towards the sky that held so many questions and so many answers. She willed him to come back, but he never did. Erik and Darcy comforted her, but they soon forgot. She continued her life, but she always hoped he would return for her like he had promised. The dream changed.

She was sinking slowly in a vast sea of green moss. She didn't mind at all; it was warm and soft and there was not a worry in the world. It did not bother her that she was in fact drowning slowly – she had already let go a long time ago. The sky was a brilliant green, not a cloud in sight. She closed her eyes and sighing contentedly, she stretched her body out. It was like lying on a water bed, and she enjoyed the warm fuzzy feeling that spread around inside her body. Suddenly it grew colder. It felt unpleasant and she opened her eyes. Far in the distance, the sky changed colour. It grew darker and dark clouds were coming her way. A shiver ran through her body, starting from the neck, just under her left ear.

She tried to get up, but the moss stuck to her skin and kept her in place, still sinking. Jane began to struggle, but it was useless. Then the dream changed again. She was half-sitting, half-lying against something hard, and when she opened her eyes, it was almost dark. She saw a familiar figure sitting crouched down in front of her, looking intently at her. Green eyes were twinkling in the twilight.

She tried to speak, but it sounded strangely muffled to her.

"What are you doing here?"

The figure in front of her sat completely still. His voice carried over to her in a low whisper.

"Are you well?"

She tried to laugh, but she remembered that she shouldn't laugh. She had no right to, ever again – but she couldn't quite remember why, at the moment.

"Why do _you_ care? You who tried to take everything from us? You're evil." she told the diffuse shape, her voice almost child-like.

"Who said I care?" the shape replied, his voice a notch colder than it had been seconds ago.

She had angered him. She regretted her rudeness instantly, but then again, this was just another weird dream. She would wake up in her trailer soon, and thank god for that.

"No one. Why would you care, of all people?" she said, her voice a little sad and tired.

"…what I think is not important. There are, however, people who are worried about you." he told her, and Jane frowned.

"Who? Erik and Darcy? Have you seen them?" Jane asked him. It had to be them; she didn't really have anyone else anymore.

"Erik and…no, Jane. Frigg and Thor among others. Are you sure you are well?" The voice sounded surprised, taken aback. She wondered why.

"Thor is just a…is he here? He left, I think." Jane said, more to herself than to Loki.

"I'd like to wake up now. So many weird dreams lately." She continued. "So weird…and you're all wrong. You shouldn't be here." Her voice faltered.

"Jane, I brought you something from…-"

Jane fell asleep again.

Loki was thoroughly worried now. She was either hallucinating or suffering from memory loss. He had to bring her back to the palace, back to the healers. He stood up and bent down to pick her up when a violent roar picked up from the wind blowing through the leaves and stopped him in his track.

_Now that is curious_, he thought. The forest was protesting against him taking Jane away.

He stood up again, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Why?" he asked.

There was no reply, but when he repeated his movement to pick her up, it happened again. This time a small branch broke off and hit his arm. Loki had respect for his world and especially for the magic within the old parts of the Kingdom, so he gave up.

He considered his options; and instead of having to go back to Frigg and tell her he had left her alone in the woods in possible peril, he sighed heavily and sat down next to Jane. He opened the bundle and tossed the blanket over her. At least she wouldn't freeze to death during the remainder of the night.

"You better have a good reason for making me babysit mortals." He said into the darkness as he leaned back against a tree.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Jane woke up of the sound of blissful, calm silence. She stretched and yawned – it took a few moments to realize where she was and why she was there. She felt heavy; it was difficult to move her limbs after the previous day. There was a blanket wrapped around her; Jane was very certain she had not brought one. She looked around suspiciously, and saw no one. Instead she noticed a small pile of food, and her stomach growled eagerly. She dismissed the blanket as another weird act of magic – it wouldn't be the first time here, after all – and began to eat.

Some meters away, hidden behind trees and bushes, Loki saw her wake up and begin to eat. He had moved away from her when she stirred, not wanting to reveal he had watched over her during the night. She seemed better, at least she was eating. He saw no signs of the previous night's delusion; maybe she had been sleep-talking during their brief conversation earlier.  
Quiet as a feather hitting the ground, he retreated away from her and left.

While she ate, Jane thought about the last dream she had had. It had felt so real, knowing she was dreaming but suspecting she was awake. She had dreamed about _Loki_ talking to her, not Thor – that was weird. Why would the "terror of her world" appear when she had wanted her good friend? But everything about that dream had been off; she had thought Erik and Darcy were nearby, and she had not believed she was on Åsgard at all, even in the dream she had imagined that she was on Earth. _It's a strange world when the truth is weirder than the dream you have, _she thought.

Loki's eyes had glittered towards her, as if he could see in the darkness. Cat-like eyes, glowing green in the dark.

They had glittered green…Jane gasped. They had been _green_! She was sure of it, she had noticed how deep green they were; a completely different colour from the first time she had seen him. And he had been kind to her. But it was a dream, so anything could go, she supposed.

But if it had been a dream… She remembered what Thor had said about Loki being under the influence of the glowing blue staff he had while on Earth. She had seen it herself, his eyes had been mostly blue. So why were Loki's eyes back to green – _how could anyone's eyes be so intensely green anyway?_ – in her dream, when dreaming about something from a while back? Chewing slowly on a delicious piece of bread, she suspected she was dwelling on these thoughts to avoid thinking about her current situation. It was quite comical, really, hiding in the forest like a child instead of dealing – except she didn't find her situation funny. She would have to go back to reality soon.

"What do you think, forest? Can't hide forever, can I?" she muttered. She was no longer hungry, and put the bread down.

The forest _hummed_ reassuringly, and she was barely surprised it had a…what exactly? A conscience? A brain? She could never quite figure out how this magic worked. It was alive, sure, but forests on Earth were alive too, without them humming in response to someone talking to themselves.

"I guess I don't understand any of this. But maybe it doesn't matter. You're on my side anyway, aren't you?" Oh great, she had now come to the point where she talked to forests.

And the forest hummed back to her. _Crazy coming up, freshly served!_ she thought.

"I'll go back later today. But if it sucks, I'll come back here and camp out again – if that's ok with you." She continued her little conversation, and was pleased when the forest made another comforting-sounding hum in response. She could always come back – and she would.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

"She what? And you, you…_what_?" Thor looked as if the sky was about to fall down on him. Siv gently elbowed him.

"Thor, close your mouth. You heard what he said." She told him.

"I just, I do not…I cannot…why won't she come back?" Thor stuttered.

Loki resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't have any right to, he didn't understand it either. He was in the dining hall with Odin, Frigg, Thor and Siv and the Warriors Three. Eventually he had had to tell them that Jane was ok, and how he knew she was. The Warriors Three looked at him with suspicion but also respect. Supposedly it had been an _honourable_ thing, to babysit Jane. To them it was, at least. And his mother…he wouldn't even look at her, she was giving him a soft, knowing smile he neither understood nor wanted to understand.

"It is a curious being, that forest." Odin said. "It has a strong will, and is not to be trifled with. The good thing is that it is absolutely loyal to Åsgard, and has never let harm befall any of its …temporary residents."

"Loki, you have to go back to her! If you are the only one who can find her, and believe me I have tried, you have to go to her and see if she is ok." Thor urged.

"Have I not done enough? I was there the whole night and she seemed fine this morning!" Loki replied, a slight snarl to his voice. All this fuss was annoying him. He was far from anyone's guardian angel, and he hated to be treated as such. There were too many people here, too many eyes on him.

"Loki, _kjæraste son min_, you have done more than enough – and I am proud of you. But Thor has a point. She should be told – while she is conscious and awake – that she is more than welcome back to us. There is no reason for her to suffer in solitude." Frigg told him, so quietly only he and Odin could hear her.

Loki sighed silently. Damn that woman, he could never resist her unbending faith in him.

"You all need to give her time. She is in shock – if you attack her with your…_understanding_ when she returns, she may well run away again." He told them, giving them a telling look.

Everyone went silent and avoided looking at him. Thor nodded. Without another word, Loki turned around and left, glad to get away from their silent approval of him. He did not want it.

He walked through the palace to another, less known entrance to the gardens. As he opened the wooden door, he saw instantly that he was once again in the ancient forest.

"Perfection." He muttered sullenly to himself. It would appear that neither the forest nor his peers would let him escape the mortal for more than a few hours. He walked, relaxing a little as he breathed in the scent of moss and leaves, with only the wind in the trees as his company.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Jane had decided to go back, although she didn't really want to. But the worst shock had passed, and she longed for a shower and a change of clothes. She better go tell Thor she was alive too, she supposed. She wasn't sure why seeing him or anyone else seemed like such an ordeal, but once she had it over with she fully intended to return to the woods for more isolation. This place soothed her, and she already thought of it as a dear friend. She lay in the grass, staring at the sunlight falling in between the treetops, postponing her return until she absolutely had to. It wasn't going to get dark in a few hours yet, so she had time.

Suddenly a face blocked the sun, staring down at her. She had not heard a thing, and made a sound of surprise as she turned around on her belly and jumped up to her feet.

Only a meter or so away from her, towering over her, was Loki.

"Holy crap why do you always sneak up on me like that?!" she yelled, surprised and startled.

Loki crossed his arms in front of him. "Always? It has happened twice, as I recall." he said nonchalantly.

Jane sat heavily back down on the ground, not bothering to reply – he was right, but she had no intention of giving him that confirmation.

"Whatever. What are you doing here?" she asked him, staring at his boots.

Loki sat down on his heels, giving her an honest and serious look which made her strangely uneasy.

"They are worried about you, like I said. They wish for you to come back to the palace." he told her.

"Uhm, why doesn't Thor come and tell me himself?" she asked. Something was nagging in the back of her head.

"He cannot find you. The forest is hiding you." Loki said, with a smirk that suggested smugness.

"It is? Hah! I knew I liked you, forest!" she looked up, and grinned when the forest hummed back.

Loki was baffled. She talked to it. And apparently, in its own way, it talked back to her. Suddenly he noticed Jane's face going white, then red.

"Loki? You said…you said 'They are worried about you, like I said.' What did you mean by that?" She looked embarrassed, meeting his eyes for a second before they darted away again.

"I was here last night. I gave you the bundle of blankets and food." he said, choosing to appear amused rather than awkward, which was what he really felt.

"Oh god." she breathed. "I thought it was a dream…" she continued, more to herself than to him.

Loki stood quiet, not knowing what to say to her.

"I'm sorry I was rude to you." Jane finally said, looking at him.

"That hardly matters. You were not fully awake." he replied, feeling strange. Why was she apologizing to him? He did not often receive apologies, and he could think of several persons who had more reason to give him one than she did.

"None the less, I apologize. It was uncalled for." she told him genuinely.

"Jane. If you insist on apologizing for something you could not control, come back with me and tell them you are alive and well so I can get some peace and quiet." Loki sighed. He wouldn't mind to get a couple of days alone in these woods himself. He needed to think about the orb, his lack of magic and how to prevent intruders getting into Åsgard. He could not do that as long as he was pestered with running back and forth between Jane and the _Æse_.

"Of course, I will," she said quickly. "But I'll come back here as soon as I've shown them I'm alive." she continued, a little defiantly.

He looked at her. She seemed fine, sane and not as shell-shocked as she had been just a night ago. She seemed almost her own self again.

"That is up to you." He told her, and almost smiled when she smiled in relief. What did she think; that they would tie her up and drown her in their worry and sympathy?

Maybe she knew them better than he had imagined, he thought wryly.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

The walk back was done in silence. She followed him a little sullenly, clutching the bundle Frigg had sent her. When they reached the palace, he showed her the way to her own room so she could freshen up before meeting the others again. She gave him a grateful nod before closing the door. Loki promptly walked to the dining hall where Frigg, Odin and Thor still were.

"She is back. It was not easy, I had to hold her down and drag her back kicking and screaming." He told them laconically, his face blank.

"YOU DID WHAT?" Thor yelled, making a move towards the Prince of Mischief.

"Thor! He is jesting!" Frigg cut in, moving in between them before anything happened. "Honestly Thor. You never seem to learn." She scolded him.

Loki sent Thor a big teasing smile and Thor scowled back.

"It was not funny." Thor said, to which Loki rolled his eyes.

"You are right, it was not." Frigg said and turned frowning to Loki. "And you should know better than to tease your brother like that!" she said sternly, but with a hint of a smile in the corner of her mouth.

Loki suddenly realized what this reminded him of; their childhood banter. When they had been young, they had jested and teased one another like that all the time. And _he_ had initiated it, to Frigg's immense joy. The smile faded from his face and he furrowed his brow.

"I am leaving. The mortal is in her room, she will come here when she is ready." he told them, and fled before Frigg could convince him to stay and continue to _play brother_ with Thor.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Jane came to them with her head hung low. She sat down on the other side of the table, resting her arms on the hard wood. Thor resisted the urge to walk around to her, but trembled with the effort. Frigg laid a hand on his shoulder, gripping it tightly.

"I'm sorry for running away like that. It was childish and rude, and I beg you to forgive me if I offended any of you." Jane told them, still looking down.

"Oh dearest child. You have not offended anyone; we have just been worried about you. We know you are in pain, and we only want to help you." Frigg told her gently.

"Jane, you do as you please – you know what is best for you in this…situation. If you need to be alone, you have our blessing. If you need to be with friends, you have that too. I just thought you should know that." Thor said.

Jane looked at him. "Thank you." Her voice broke as she continued.

"But what I need is to go home and find Erik ok and up and running. That's what I _need_." If I can't have that, I just…I need a little time to think and settle. I don't suppose there is any way for me to go home, is there?" she said, looking at Odin.

"No, I regret to tell you that there is not. We shall repair the Bifrost in time, but we have more pressing matters now, something that could affect all of us." Odin said. Jane widened her eyes slightly. Something bad was happening, she could see it in their faces.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

* * *

**AN:** Short language lesson: I already translated this, but "_kjæraste son min_" means "my beloved son". The language is _Nynorsk _(New Norwegian). In Norway we have two official written languages (three if you count the Sami language), both are Norwegian but while _Bokmål_ (Dano-Norwegian), which the majority writes, is closer to Danish, New Norwegian is slightly closer to Norse and Icelandic. Both in vocabulary and grammar. From time to time I will use New Norwegian in dialogue between the Æse (=Asgardians), but I will always translate at the bottom of the chapter unless I've already used it in a previous chapter. So if I write something and there is no translation, go back a couple of chapters to check the "Author's Notes".

**Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy and review!**


	11. Chapter 10 Strangers When We Meet

**Author's Notes:** Congratulations to LilTinyBee for posting the 100th review to this story! And thanks to you all, this feedback exceeds all my expectations (but please don't stop! I welcome even negative feedback, as long as it's constructive!) Also please know there will be another reward for the** 200th review**! I'm already excited; "Giving In" was a lot of fun to write. My apologies for the late update: December is a hectic month both at work and in my personal life. I'll try to post another chapter before 2013 as a "Christmas present" to you. Stay with me though, I'm **not** abandoning the story!  
Want a heads-up before I post chapters? Find me on tumblr (just search for _Shared Silence_ or _Lokane_)!

**Music: **"Strangers when we meet" by David Bowie and "I Grieve" by Peter Gabriel

* * *

**Chapter 10: Strangers When We Meet**

_"All our friends_  
_Now seem so thin and frail_  
_Slinky secrets_  
_Hotter than the sun_

_All my violence  
__Raining tears upon the sheets  
__I'm bewildered  
__For we're strangers when we meet_

_Steely resolve  
__Is falling from me  
__My poor soul  
__All bruised passivity  
__I'm so thankful  
__That we're strangers when we meet"  
_- David Bowie

Jane was sittting down at the table with the royal family, minus Loki, as she was explained the current situation. Odin's magic was crippled for the time being and someone or something had been spying on the _Æse_ for some time. Whether or not this was the same who wanted Loki for one of his many crimes didn't matter much; a threat to anyone on Åsgard was considered a threat to the entire kingdom. The main problem was that it was near to impossible to prepare for an enemy that was seemingly invisible. Even Heimdall could not see anything.

What they recounted for her made her blood freeze. She couldn't react, she went completely numb.  
Jane slowly stood up and backed away from the table. It wasn't what they had told her, although that was more than alarming enough. What really made her head swirl was the worry on their faces. They really had no idea what was coming. That was more disturbing than anything else; these beings, these wonderful magical people that she had learned to trust and care for, were suddenly helpless. And that scared her more than the threat of an alien invasion. It also made her position in all of this very unclear and insecure – that was painfully clear to her.

"Jane…I swear to you that you will be safe, no matter what comes." Thor said, raising himself from his chair carefully, as to not give her a reason to back away.

"I know you mean that." Jane replied, struggling to keep her voice calm. "I know you all mean that. This is just…I don't even know how to react. Too much has happened in the last couple of days."

Frigg stood as well, only Odin remained in a relaxed sitting position, resting his eye on her. She could tell he was trying to convey ease and tranquility to her, but it was too little too late.

"Dear Jane, it is alright. Go; go to wherever you feel the safest. Just know we are here should you need us." Frigg told her, giving her the silent permission Jane wanted to turn around and walk away. She needed something. She needed the forest.

This time she was better prepared. She had packed extra clothes and blankets – a courtesy of Frigg, bless her – food and her old mp3 player, which she had forgotten had been in the pocket of her jeans when she came to Åsgard. She had missed music, and was glad she had brought at least something from Earth with her. Although what she would do when the batteries ran out, she had no idea.

In spite of her plan and managing to keep herself calm enough to get her things before leaving for the forest, her feet brought her in a completely different direction when she headed out.

She was breathing quickly. She felt strangely detached from her body and she was half-curious, half-scared of where it was taking her.

Loki saw her walk across the courtyard of the palace. He was standing on one of the many balconies overlooking Åsgard, leaning forward on his arms on the cold marble. She was walking almost mechanically. Frowning, he decided to follow her when he saw the direction she was taking. She was going out on the broken Bifrost.

He had almost caught up with her when he saw her standing right on the edge, where the centre of the Bifrost had once stood. He froze for a second. She wasn't thinking about jumping, was she? He continued his walk towards her, taking slow steps as not to startle her.

"Jane?" he called out carefully.

She didn't reply, she only stood there as still as a statue looking into the abyss, her hair tossed up behind her by the gentle breeze. Loki walked up to her, ready to grab her if needed.

"Tell me Loki, what did it feel like, to fall _into_ and through the Universe?" she asked him without looking at him. Her voice sounded strangely calm and abandoned.

He considered her words, taken off-guard by both her question as well as the resigned tone in her voice.

"It felt liberating," he told her honestly. "At first." he added quietly.

She looked at him then, surprised by the honesty of his answer.

"At the time, letting go felt like the only possible choice," he continued, staring into the abyss thoughtfully.

"And as I fell, I finally felt free – of everyone's expectations of me, free of my past, free of my future." Loki turned towards her swiftly, and she looked up at him with wonder in her eyes.

"But that lasted for mere seconds, the feeling of freedom quickly vanished. Instead I felt trapped, perhaps more so than I had ever before in my life. I could not _breathe_. I fell for what felt like a lifetime. I was in _Helheim_ –being flayed alive, burned by fire, drowned by water, smothered by vacuum, recounting all my regrets, feeling all the disappointment everyone had ever felt about me. It does something to you, falling in there. Even should you survive, which _you_ will _not_." His voice was hard and sure, and his green eyes burned.

Jane was trembling. He wasn't trying to scare her; he was telling her the truth. There was no malice nor lies in his eyes. He had lived through it and by some miracle, survived. How it had changed him, she could not comprehend – maybe he didn't understand it himself.

She shook her head, and the unfamiliar detachment fell away from her.

"I am sorry you had to go through that. I wasn't…I wasn't planning on doing anything stupid, I just…I don't even know why I am here. Guess I just had a small hope it could be a way back home. You ended up on Earth, after all," she said, not looking at him.

His eyes were impossible to read, and it made her uneasy. He considered her for a moment.

"Midgard was not where I first landed after falling. There is no way to your home now. The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be on you." Loki turned around and walked away, leaving her at the edge in solitude.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Why had he told her that? Loki was kicking himself mentally. He had meant to discourage her from whatever stupid reason she had for standing at the edge of the abyss, he had not intended to speak so freely of what he had experienced. He had sworn to never tell anyone about that. His familiar friend Rage flared in him, and he watched more than one passer-by practically jump out of his way, after looking his dark appearance. He turned to the palace gardens, keeping his feelings under control – but when the entrance to the ancient forest fluttered and changed into the entrance of the maze, he almost lost it. _Do _not _toy with me, damn you!_ he shot at it silently, and luckily, it obliged him. Fuming, he pushed through and disappeared inside.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Jane stood in silence, considering Loki's words. He was right, she knew. She had to accept this impossible situation. She just didn't know how. And she so desperately wanted someone to talk to; all the while she wanted to be left alone. It might be the craziest idea she had had so far, but she wondered if she could talk to _him_. They had talked properly just now, so why not? The thought took root in her, and she left the bridge behind, barely noticing the colourful footprints underneath her. She rushed through the city with an urgency she could not explain. Her instincts told her he might understand somehow.

As she got to the courtyard of the palace, she stopped to think. She didn't know where he was; and from what she had gathered, Loki preferred to stay away from the rest of the _Æse_. No one ever seemed to know where he was. "Shit." she exclaimed to herself.

She would not run around and look for someone who did not want to be found. Jane stuck to the original plan of going back to the ancient woods. The entrance was there, as if it was awaiting her return. Enjoying her welcome, she felt herself relaxing among the trees and bushes as she walked deeper within.

Suddenly, she saw something flash between the trees in front of her. Something of bronze and green, moving away from her.

_Loki_.

Moving as quietly as she could, she tried to follow him. He was walking fast, his movements tense. Jane decided to keep her distance for a while, and hoped she wouldn't be discovered. He was obviously angry – not that that was very surprising to her. He had depths of anger within that would be enough for 10 people at least. And while she did not fear him anymore, she didn't particularly wish to be in the way when he lashed out; she'd tried that in the maze and it hadn't exactly been enjoyable. On the other hand, when he was calm he was, in his own way, quite pleasant company.

So she followed him, hoping he would not disappear and that his anger would dissipate by the time she was discovered.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

The mortal obviously had not learned how perceptive he was. She kept thinking she could come within a mile of him without him knowing. How curious! Why was she foolish enough to follow him? He was still angry with himself and with her, but some of the anger was slowly replaced by the urge to take advantage of the situation. He was one for mischief, after all. And this was one game he could play in which he didn't need his magic. He kept himself within her range; slipping from her sight now and then, only to reappear and encourage her to keep following him.

At one point, he hid to let her pass him, and suddenly he was following her. There was something strangely exciting about it, hunting her, toying with her this way. And it gave him plenty of time to observe her. She looked tired, he noted. Tired and mentally exhausted. Still she kept looking for him, with an air of need that intrigued him.

She had lost him, she knew. Jane stopped, wanting to scream in frustration. She felt so drained, and this was just one more disappointment that threatened to push her over the edge. She turned around, and noted how surrealistically quiet it was. Like the forest held its breath. Jane moved around again, and this time saw something behind her; another flash of green amidst the green.

Anger welled up in her too then: he knew very well he was being followed by her, and now he was teasing her! Muttering insults under her breath, she followed him, not wanting to be fooled by him.

As the roles shifted yet again, she realized it was a game to him. And even though she was dog tired and wanting to give up, something stirred within her. On a strange level, this was actually kind of fun. They were trying to outsmart each other, and they both took it as a silent challenge. The hunter became the hunted, and then shifted again. She never lost him completely, but he was obviously in his right element. Her optimism faded, and eventually she came to a small clearing. He was guiding her around in circles. She recognized the place; she had been there before. Another flash of green on the opposite side of the trees attempted to lead her on once again. _Enough_, she thought.

"LOKI! Stop horsing around!" she called out, exasperated.

The forest hummed in agreement, that's what she chose to interpret it as, anyway. She leaned tiredly against one of the trees, crossing her arms over her chest.

Then silence fell, all she heard was her own heart beating from the chase. Jane almost smiled. It had been rather fun, for a while.

"What do you want, mortal?" A voice came from…above her?

Jane looked up, and gasped. A little ahead of her, casually lounging on a branch just out of reach, was Loki. His body language suggested he was bored, his feet spread out along the branch, but his eyes were sparkling. _Oh he had been enjoying this, the cheek_.

"I have a name you know." she told him, managing to raise an eyebrow at him.

Loki smirked.

"Yes, Jane. And yet, you are still a mortal as well." he replied nonchalantly, not looking at her. "I repeat, what do you want?"

Her courage and adrenaline left her body suddenly. She just felt tired and sad again. What _did_ she want? She had been openly chasing him around in a dark forest, she didn't even want to think about what that would indicate to him.

When she didn't reply, he turned his head towards her. His eyes glittered dangerously. He was angry – again. Apparently, he had some bad mood swings. He changed from nice and caring to angry and outright mean so fast she had no chance of keeping up with him.

"I value my privacy. If you chase me around like a child, you better have a damn good reason for it!" he almost snarled at her as he jumped down from the tree and moved towards her threateningly, like he had in the maze.

Jane couldn't take more of his scorn. She was already vulnerable as it was – she could not stop her eyes from filling with tears. Ashamed, she batted them away with one hand.

"I don't _know_, ok? Maybe I just wanted to talk to someone!" she pressed out, hating that her voice sounded so…thin.

"And you wanted to talk to _me_?" His voice was incredulous. "Do you not have any concept of who – _what_ – I am?"

She cast a brief glance at him before returning her eyes to look down.

"I don't care what you think you are! What you said on the bridge, in the forest…you know what it's like!" she said loudly, her voice almost breaking. She did not want to cry in front of him, but it was a battle she was losing by the second.

Loki turned away abruptly, like he was leaving.

"I can't go home!" she whispered, her voice filled with intensity.

Loki froze in his steps.

He turned his head first, and then the rest of his body followed. He looked at her with part detached interest, part sympathy.

"I know," he murmured softly.

The kindness in his voice, even if it was reluctant, finally broke her. She sat down heavily with a sob and hid her face in her arms. She expected him to leave then, and surely he had no interest in bawling mortals; but he surprised her and himself by leaning against a tree. Loki was highly uncomfortable. He had no idea what to say, which was rare for him. And yet, he instinctively knew she would find comfort in his mere presence – though the reason for why he should care escaped him.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Meanwhile, Thor was in the company of Siv and their friends. He might as well have been sitting alone, he did not pay attention to their usual banter and was instead looking into a fireplace, lost in thought. Volstagg and Fandral kept looking at him worriedly, but stuck to their normal routine of friendly insults of each other. A little normalcy would be what their friend and prince needed. Siv came over to him and sat down. For a while, neither spoke. He knew she was there, and grateful for her company.

"What troubles you so?" she finally asked.

"Everything, it seems" he replied, still not looking at her.

"It is Jane, is it not?" she asked again, almost hesitantly. "You worry about her again."

"How can I not? This is not what I intended when I brought her here." Thor said with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Thor, she knows that. I doubt she blames you for what has transpired!" Siv said. She wanted him so much to give himself a break from the guilt that was eating away at him.

Thor looked at her then, a small comforting smile on his lips. She would always love him for that; even when he was down, he would always try to reassure those around him.

"It is not just that. She does not blame us, but she cannot stand to receive any comfort from us either. Yet…." His voice drifted off and he looked uncertainly at her. "It would seem that Loki is the only person who can keep track of her. Do you not find that peculiar?" he said.

Siv thought about it before answering.

"Yes…and no." she said slowly. Thor's head jerked up to look at her with surprise.

"Thor, Loki is…many things. I would not trust him with my life, not after everything that has happened. But he does seem to have changed somehow. I would like to believe that he has become wiser. And I think he knows very well what Jane is going through right now – something we cannot quite understand even if we try." Her voice was soft; so unlike the merry jabs she usually came with.

Thor gave her a considering look. "You do not hate him? I would think that you all did." he asked her.

"No, I do not hate him. My trust in him might never recover, but I do not hate him. We did share our childhood lives together, all of us. And I know he is capable of good – more than capable." Siv replied, smiling a little at a memory of a dark haired boy showing off his magic tricks of conjuring up butterflies for the rest of them to chase around on a big field outside the city of Åsgard.

Thor shook his head. "You have never ceased to amaze me Siv."

"And I never will!" she told him confidently with a sly grin, but inside her chest, her heart was skipping a beat.

* * *

**AN:** _Helheim_ = a word for hell, or the underworld.  
I do hope you enjoy even though it's a bit short. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think!


	12. Chapter 11 Losing Hope

**Author's Notes:** My apologies for the absence of updates the last month. Life happened, which is good I suppose (for me at least). Thank you for the encouragement and reviews, I appreciate them more than you know. The 200th review reward still stands, so don't be shy!  
_First posted January 18__th__ 2013_

**Music: **"Losing My Religion" by Tori Amos (R.E.M. cover), "It's Natural to be Afraid" by Explosions in the Sky.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Losing Hope**

_Consider this__  
__The hint of the century__  
__Consider this__  
__The slip that brought me__  
__To my knees failed__  
__What if all these fantasies__  
__Come flailing around__  
__Now I've said too much  
_-Losing My Religion, R.E.M.

Jane tried her best to stop the flow of tears down her cheeks, but it was difficult. At least the sobs had stopped, more or less. The occasional whimper would escape her mouth, but it was an improvement to a few minutes earlier. She sat with her head in her arms, hiding in plain sight from the demi-God who – in spite of everything – hadn't abandoned her in her loneliness, after all. Who would have thought? He didn't speak; he didn't even look at her, save for the occasional glance, but he was there. That was enough for Jane. She couldn't stand his snarky comments, but she wanted him there just the same. Why, she had little explanation for. It hardly mattered now, anyway.

Finally, she had to come up for air – literally. She raised her head from her wet sleeves and almost gasped in the fresh night air, her movement causing Loki to tilt his head towards her curiously.

"I don't know what to do," she muttered more to herself than to him.

"I should imagine, you do exactly what you have the power to do." Loki replied suddenly. His voice was calm and deep, and resounded in the quietness of the forest currently surrounding them. She briefly thought about how wonderful his voice was.

"And what do I have the power to do?" she asked him, sounding surprised and a little defeated. Was he making fun of her?

"What indeed?" he shot back at her, a puzzled tone to his voice – his eyes never leaving hers.

Jane could do nothing but stare at him, not sure whether to be angry or start crying again. Luckily, she was out of tears for now, it seemed. She wasn't used to crying usually, and she had no plans of continuing this display – especially not to him.

"If you are going to insult me, you can just leave!" she hissed.

Loki considered her words. Part of him longed to just turn his back and leave her to her own struggle. He could not justify why he was there anyway. Still, she had misunderstood him, and he didn't particularly need more people misunderstanding him. Not after Midgard.

"Had I intentionally wanted to insult you, I believe I would have made it clearer. I was asking you a question, something for you to ponder in your…state of contemplation." Loki drawled at her.

"What do you mean?" Jane was frustrated. As much as she loved the somewhat old-fashioned way the Æse spoke in, sometimes she wished they could just be a little more direct in their communication. Like now. She had no idea what he was getting at, but then again, her normally brilliant mind felt pretty numb right now.

He sighed and shifted his now standing position towards her.

"What I mean, is that it is up to you to decide. Yes, you are trapped here, but no one will tell you what to do about it. In other words, Jane, you have to answer that question yourself."

He leaned even closer to her, the distance between them shortening considerably.

"To put it bluntly: what are you, Jane Foster, going to do about the mess you are in?" His voice carried over the distance between them, a low question loaded with meaning. The ancient forest gave off a low rumble that went with it.

Jane thought about it, forcing her mind to focus. And then it finally seeped through. Not that it helped her in her current situation, but at least she didn't feel like an idiot for not understanding him.

"I don't have the answer," she whispered. "I can't think, I can't…I can't do anything."

"Then perhaps you are even weaker than I thought." Loki told her, his voice and eyes ushering a challenge.

She saw it. She knew he was provoking her on purpose. And at any other time, she would have risen to meet it. Part of her longed to meet it, to prove to him and herself that he was wrong. Because he was. She was anything but weak. She had handled the whole other world-situation better than anyone could have imagined. What she couldn't handle, was losing Erik. And losing home. It was everything she knew, where she belonged. Without it, what was she? Who was she?

She wanted to tell him these things, but instead slowly slid down to lay down on her side, her arms wrapped around her and she left him with no answer at all.

Hours ticked away, and Jane was still in her unresponsive state. He tried to provoke her again, but she hardly even blinked. Loki realized she could probably not see or hear him at all.

Now he really was worried. For all he knew, it could be something larger at work here. Åsgard was threatened – who was to say their enemy hadn't managed to get to the mortal woman somehow?

After all, from what he knew about her, she was not the type to roll over and play dead. She was a fighter. Loki felt uncertain about the state she was in – it could be magic; a spell or some kind of influence from outside, he simply did not have the means to know.

Damn Odin for blocking his magic from him. Something had to be done.

Reaching a conclusion, he swiftly lifted her up in his arms. Still no reaction from Jane. He walked fast back towards the palace, ignoring the indignant hum of the forest.

The All-father met him, as if he had been expecting him. Loki wouldn't be surprised if he had been. His foster parents always knew more about him and everyone else than they led on.

Thor came towards them as well; he and Odin had obviously been waiting for them to come back.

"She's not reacting to anything. She's gone deeper into shock."

The All-father wasted no time. "Thor, take her to Eir!" he barked. But before Thor could make a move, Loki was already on his way, with Jane still cradled in his arms.

Thor didn't object, but followed them, a frown on his face.

As he watched Loki's back through the hallways to the healing room, he wondered yet again about the strange connection that seemed to have formed between his brother and his former love-interest.

They both seemed oblivious to it themselves, but even the fact that Loki was the only one to find her and talk to her during her distress – it meant something. What, no one quite knew.

But as much as Thor still had issues with his adopted brother, he still loved him. He still firmly believed in the good in him.

And as for Jane… Thor loved her. But he was not in love with her. And while he didn't completely trust Loki with her, or understand what was going on between them, he hoped it was something good for both of them. Friendship or even just tolerance between them would be immensely good for Loki, who needed to trust again, and to be trusted.

As for love..? Thor smirked. He had never seen his younger brother in love. He probably wouldn't recognize the signs. Loki kept his mask firmly in place at most times, but Thor knew him very well. He could see little tell-tale signs in the way Loki carried her, the way he talked about her - even when it was just insults. Thor could tell he was fascinated by her. And why shouldn't he be? Jane was a remarkable young woman.

But now…Thor was scared. Scared for her. Jane catatonic? It didn't add up to how he knew her. He sent a prayer to Valhall that Eir could help her as he followed Loki into the healing room.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Eir met Loki with a gentle smile. She gestured to one of the large, circle-shaped beds with soft white linens. Loki lowered his arms until Jane was lying on the bed – immediately a warm glow of light embedded her and the bed. He withdrew slightly and looked at Eir. The healer's eyes closed and her brow furrowed in concentration. Thor silently joined his side.

"She is dehydrated and exhausted. She has not eaten much lately, has she?" Eir spoke as she opened her eyes to look at Loki again.

He shook his head.

Eir sighed. "She is in shock, and there is not much to do with that. We will keep her here for a while to observe her. Here, she will be warm, safe and get much needed rest and nutrition."

Loki cleared his throat. "Is something else affecting her? This…state? Could it be a spell or curse?" He had to ask. He did not feel anything malicious emanating from her, but he could not trust his magic now. It was not strong enough for him to judge.

Eir looked surprised for a second. "No, there are no signs of anything like that." She paused. "She is a mortal. I have seen worse reactions to being brought here before. She is allowed to have a strong reaction to everything that has happened to her since she arrived. From what I have heard, I believe she is doing remarkably well."

With that, she turned away, sat down at Jane's bedside and began humming an old melody. The sound spread softly around the room, gently bouncing off the walls and spreading a calm atmosphere.

"Loki, you should return to Father. We need to talk." Thor said hesitantly. He was walking on egg shells around Loki these days, afraid to break the frail truce between them by mistake.

Loki nodded. He straightened up, and took in the view of the room. He had been here many times and not too long ago either. The circular room, with its lack of sharp edges, comfortable interior and soft warmth and light gave the impression of peace and serenity. It had always reminded Loki of a cocoon, a place to be embraced in safety. The roof reflected the sunrise; it changed every morning, but was always keeping the optimistic impression of the start of a new day, full of hope and promise, whatever the actual time of day. While he usually detested the reasons for being there, he had always rather liked this place. And he had always gotten along with Eir; a healer who knew that physical wounds were not always the only thing that needed healing. A woman with not even an ounce of judgement in her, though she sometimes scolded him for the trouble he got himself – and others – in.

Loki glanced at Thor, and without further words, walked together back to the All-father's throne room.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Something had been screaming inside Jane's head ever since she was told Erik was dead. She hadn't noticed until recently, but when she sought Loki out and he made her realize she had to do something about her situation herself, the noise became louder. And all of a sudden, she couldn't hear anything else. It left her paralyzed – she willed it to stop, but instead it increased in sound and intensity.

It might have made her want to die, or do something rash, or seek help – if she had been able to think or move. She spent all her energy, will power and life force to keep from going mad. Or maybe she already was mad. It didn't matter. Everything that mattered, was keeping the screaming at bay and even in that she was unsuccessful.

Jane briefly noticed that Loki picked her up and carried her away from her beloved forest. It couldn't protect her, so it was just as well. Before she slipped away from rational consciousness, she wondered a little about the gentleness with which he lifted her from the ground. It didn't feel wrong to be in his arms. It didn't feel wrong to be close to the alien – the man – who had nearly destroyed New York City. Jane found that curious, in a strangely detached but appreciative way.

As she was put down on the bed in the strange room, a woman came up to her. She kneeled down, her reddish blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes covering her line of sight. She heard the woman speak to her, even though she wasn't moving her lips. It seemed she spoke with her eyes, somehow. Had Jane been able to speak, she would have muttered something about 'more magic'.

"_Jane. Do not be afraid. You are safe. Whatever else comes to mind, if you can focus on simply one thing, remember this: You are safe._" As she spoke to her, the sound of the screaming seemed to diminish the tiniest bit. A part of Jane wished to communicate, to tell her that she wasn't afraid; she just couldn't focus over the screaming.

"_I understand. It will pass, dearest Jane. It will not last long. Try to relax. It will pass, and you are safe. You have all the time in the world._"

Then the screaming set in again – louder than ever, it seemed. She wanted to cringe – to scream back until it stopped. Instead she did nothing, save for trying to hold on like the woman said.

After what must have been a few millennia, the woman came back to her, and sang to her. It was almost drowned by the noise, but gradually, it fleeted through the dim and it calmed her.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Odin looked at his two sons – different as night and day, both in appearance and behaviour. Still, he loved them both, and no matter their previous mistakes, he knew he could trust them to defend Åsgard in any way possible. It had pained him to block Loki's magic; he knew very well it left his youngest son feeling weak and powerless. To block someone's magic was stripping them of part of their identity. Still, Loki had done wrong and it was beyond time to teach them both that actions had consequences. Odin might have looked through the fingers on their pranks as youngsters, but they were not boys anymore.

"There has been no change in the Orb – my magic is still restricted to Åsgard, and in a lesser degree than before. I fear there has been done irreparable damage to it. Still, Heimdall has been searching the Nine Realms, and there seems to be a stirring in both Jotunheim and Svartálfaheim. It is almost unnoticeable, but there is something going on. We should be prepared." Odin's voice had a sinister edge to it, like he was preparing for battle. It was unsettling.

Thor huffed. "What could they be planning? Jotunheim is one thing, they have always wished us ill – but Svartálfaheim?"

Odin looked at Loki, who was remarkably still, even for him. "Loki?" he asked, knowing his youngest was troubled.

"The dark elves are ruled by Malekith the Accursed. While he should not have any grievances with Åsgard as such, he might have with me. I would not put it past him to make dealings with someone else who masters the art of...persuasion. As for the Jotne, they will be very willing to grasp the opportunity to strike us." Loki told them, not looking at either of them.

"And who might this persuader be? He or she must possess great power if he can get the Jotne and the dark elves to work together, if that is what they are doing." Thor said, not quite convinced.

"They are pawns!" Loki snapped, "Not collaborators!" There was only one conclusion he could come to, and it made him shiver.

"Is it him, then?" Odin spoke, and Loki's eyes darted to his face. "You believe Thanos to be behind this?"

"It must be. The dark elves and the Jotne do not have the knowledge or power to cross to Åsgard alone. Even if they had made a plan together, which I find unlikely, they would not manage to come here without some form of magical help. Malekith could do it, but not for two entire armies" Loki whispered.

"I can understand the motives of Jotunheim, but what reason does Malekith have?" Thor asked. His face was a mask of worry and mental preparation. His bloodlust might have diminished, but he was still the greatest warrior of Åsgard – he would do whatever it took to defend his home.

"The Casket of Winter would be a motivation for either of them. A chance to challenge Åsgard would be a second motivation. And a chance to challenge me would be a third." Loki replied, his face set in stone. He was not bragging, simply stating the truth. His actions over the years had led them to this point. Loki did not feel proud of that.

"Then we should prepare for the worst." Odin said.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

The wind blew cold across the ragged landscape of Jotunheim. It was much as it should be in the realm of winter. Except, the vast, hostile landscape had become even more desolate after Loki's attack with the Bifrost. There had never been much to rebuild, since mountains could not be rebuilt, but Laufey's old throne and court had been replaced with a large crater.

Trym, the new king of the Jotne, overlooked the crater with disgust. He had never particularly liked Laufey. Though at the end he had been obsessed with the chance to kill Odin in his sleep, Laufey had been far too passive. He had spent years and years brooding on his throne, reminiscing about the former glory of Jotunheim. Revenge and cause of action had finally flared up in him after Odin's whelp provoked him, but in the end it had made him careless and led to his death. He should have known Loki would not betray his father and king.

Now, rumours had it that Loki was in reality a Jotne – though Trym wouldn't quite believe it. It hardly mattered. He was still a traitor in Trym's eyes, and he would regret it should Trym ever get his hands on him. They had searched for him, hoping to catch him off-guard – but the trickster was hard to find, and when they finally got word he was on Midgard, they were too late even if they had been able to get there to catch him.

Jotunheim had fallen to panic and despair as the ray of the Bifrost slammed into its ground, tearing down mountains and killing Jotne trying desperately to escape the area of impact. Most of Laufey's court and most trusted allies had been killed as they had been waiting by the throne to celebrate Laufey's return and the news of Odin's demise.

Just as well. After the destruction, there had been a short but intense power struggle for the throne – but it could have been much worse. Trym had not had great trouble coming to power. He had been waiting for this.

Now, it was time to plot a plan – a proper plan – to take revenge on Åsgard and its inhabitants.

There was an almost unnoticeable shift in the air. The wind stilled for a second, as mist seemed to creep on along the jagged stone ground towards him.  
Trym turned away from the sight of the crater as one of his guards called to him.

"My king!" the guard sounded nervous, for all his efforts to remain calm and imposing, as a guard should. "Your …visitor has arrived."

Trym smiled wickedly. Oh yes. This time it would be done properly.

* * *

AN: Trym (or Þrym in Norse) is the actual king of the Jotne, according to Norse mythology. So since Laufey died in "Thor", I thought it fitting to replace him with the real king! His name would be pronounced something like "thrum" with a short sounding "m"-sound, I think, for Native English speakers). Also, fun fact: In Norway there is a place (national park) called Jotunheimen. It's great for hiking, and a breathtakingly beautiful area. Jotunheimen, for those know didn't already know, literally means "Home of the Giants". Please tell me what you think!


	13. Chapter 12 Slowly Awakening

**Author's Notes:** Thank you for sticking with me, and leaving those wonderful and important reviews for me! I hope you will enjoy this chapter!  
_First posted 06 February 2013._

**Music:** "A Three-Legged Workhorse" by This Will Destroy You, "Critical Distance" by Maybeshewill and "First Breath After Coma" by Explosions in the Sky.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Slowly Awakening**

Just have to keep a dialogue  
Teach our bodies: haunt the cause  
I was only trying to spell a loss

So it's storming on the lake  
Little waves our bodies break  
There is a fire going out,  
but there's really nothing going south

Sold, I'm ever  
Open ears and open eyes  
Wake up to your starboard bride  
Who goes in and then stays inside  
Oh, the demons come, they can subside  
_-Bon Iver, "Calgary"_

Time passed, and the _Æse_ were busy with reinforcing the city and the borders of Åsgard. Everyone contributed in making sure all possible kinds of preparations were done. Odin, Thor and Loki had called together all the warriors for extraordinary battle training, and Loki, still the master strategist, had gone through different formations with them. If it came to a full frontal battle, many would die – but they would have the advantage on their side and no one would go down easily. The _Æse_ knew this, and they had always known this.

A few days after Jane had been admitted to the healers, Odin had had a serious talk with Loki about his punishment and the confinement of his magic. After a lengthy discussion, they agreed that Odin would give him access to parts of his magic now, and full access once the time for the impending attack became clear to them. For the time being, Loki could use just enough magic to more easily help with preparations and training. However, he was still physically bound to Åsgard; he could use no portals. Loki had little problems accepting this deal; he knew very well the reasons why he was not yet trusted completely. He also knew that they eventually had no choice but to trust him; they needed him – Thor's _Mjǫlnir _was not enough to keep Åsgard safe, especially if the attack was of a magical origin. At this point, all hints headed towards that conclusion.

Loki knew that Odin and Heimdall still kept a careful eye on him and would continue to do so, that was to be expected. Still, all in all his punishment had not been as severe as he had feared. As a larger part of his magic flowed through his being again, his body tingled. He truly had missed it. Odin watched him carefully, but with a small smirk on his mouth as Loki swiftly conjured up an ice dagger and flung it across the throne room. Before it crashed into the wall, the dagger simply melted away as it was engulfed by a ball of fire that appeared from nowhere.

"You were always a talented manipulator of the elements, Loki. It will come to good use, I think," Odin told him.  
Loki gave him a deliberately haughty look. For all his previous and current anger and resentment towards the All-Father, he still appreciated receiving his praise. But he saw no reason to let Odin know that.

In any case, he had no reason or desire to not help; Åsgard was his home more than anywhere else – he would go down fighting for its preservation.

As the preparations and planning continued over the days, he still frequently argued with both Odin and Thor. The tension sometimes hung between them as a velvet veil; momentarily blocking all rational thoughts. Still, they managed to overcome it to work together. Soon they became confident that whatever the enemy had planned, they would be able to meet the challenge and emerge victorious on the other side. The atmosphere in the city of Åsgard was tangible; even as life continued much as it had, its inhabitants moved at a slower pace than normal and spoke in more hushed voices than normally. It was not all nerves – quite a few were eagerly looking forward to something happening. The _Æse_ had been through this before, and though generally a peaceful people, they were warriors at heart. Battle was not to be feared.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

In the healing room, Eir sat by Jane's side when Loki appeared in the doorway. It was just after sunset, and the ebbing twilight had passed over into comforting darkness outside the windows. The light from the many candles and the fireplace made shadows dance around on the walls gracefully. When she saw him, she smiled and beckoned him to come inside.

Thor was there for a lengthy time every day, talking to her and trying to get a response out of her, to no avail. But unbeknownst to most, Loki too had come by to see how Jane was doing. Eir knew, though she knew better than to confront him about it. She knew he preferred to come at night time, when the palace was otherwise quiet. He rarely spoke to Jane during these visits, and didn't stay longer than a few minutes at most.

"I wish to inquire on how the mortal fares," he told her as he took a few tentative steps into the room.

"She is still not quite conscious. Though sometimes she looks at me as I speak to her, don't you dear?" Eir looked at the sleeping Jane and smiled.

"I see," Loki replied. He waited for a short moment, as if he wanted to say something. Then he turned to leave.

"Loki." Eir stood up from Jane's bedside and walked over to him. He didn't move, he was still facing the doorway as if he was leaving.

"You were there when she shut down. You know what is troubling her, do you not?" The healer spoke softly, with no accusation in her voice.

"I believe I do," Loki replied. He paused for a split second before he continued. "She feels insignificant and without control over her fate. And she does not know how to accept the loss of her mentor and of her way home to her world."

"You understand these sentiments?" Eir asked him, a hint of kind curiosity in her voice.

"I…-" he looked at her as he hesitated. The urge to keep everything about him hidden from everyone was strong, but he did trust Eir – he always had. "-…I do."

She looked at him with a depth of understanding in her eyes that made him uncomfortable. She had a way of seeing right through people; a trait both useful and necessary for a healer.

"Then if I may, I would suggest you speak with her. You could help her back to us. She is in a very dark place, and she needs help to overcome her insecurities and her grief." Eir was careful to not make it sound like a demand as she knew he reacted badly to that – but he got the message none the less.

Loki nodded a little reluctantly. "I will return," he told her quietly. With that, he left.

Eir sighed with relief after he had left. That had gone easier than she had anticipated. The rumour outside the palace was that Loki was a traitor and prisoner, that he only helped Odin and Thor because he had to – as part of his punishment and debt to them. Eir knew better than that. But she also knew that a part of him was still ready to play the villain if no one put their faith in him. Years of anger and disappointment and hurt could not be erased with just a few kind words. Everyone needed to feel needed – even 'villains'.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Loki came back late that night. He hadn't planned to; the mortal was most likely asleep. But Eir's words wouldn't let him go to rest for the night, not that he slept much anyway. He felt somehow responsible. And yet, as much as he resented to be put forth as some kind of saviour, he felt a strange urge to help. If Eir was right – he would not quite believe it – he could be the one to somehow rattle Jane out of her apathy. Problem was, he had no idea how to do that. He was no healer, and he was certainly no saviour.

The room was empty; Jane was the only person in the room save himself. It was peacefully quiet, only the soft sound of the flames consuming wood could be heard. Loki walked soundless over to her bedside and sat down on the chair Eir had used for days as she had washed her healing songs over the apparently lifeless woman in the bed.

The healing of the _Æse_ was a complex thing; Apart from the obvious healing of visible wounds, which was done both physically and through magic, the mind of the wounded was encouraged to help through gentle persuasion. Some might call it manipulation, but it was more of a push in the right direction. It was a well-known fact in Åsgard that the mind was a powerful tool – this knowledge was how some of them, like Loki, were able to do magic in the first place. Other realms like Midgard, had simply not discovered this yet. As for healing, it was a question of getting the subliminal messages through to the wounded. The healers had different ways of doing this: some would use energy flowing through their hands, some would chant, some would use an object to focus. Eir had always preferred song to direct her magic energy into a person. It would work, even if the wounded person in question was deaf; the vibrations from her voice had the same effect as the melody or words.

Loki had always been fascinated by Eir's work, and he had seen it up close more times than he cared to remember. He thought about her technique as he looked at the mortal woman in the bed. She was laying still, eyes closed and her body tensed up though she was in pain.

Her face looked calm; but he knew that there was chaos inside her. He recognized the signs all too well.

"Jane." He spoke with a low voice, unsure of what to say. Her eyelids fluttered by the sound of her name and he leaned towards her the tiniest bit.  
"You have to wake up now." Loki let a tendril of his magic reach out and touch her – worried he would go too far or do something wrong. He hadn't done this in a while. Loki let the wisp of magic enter her mind. It was not possession, more like being a fly on the wall. He had seen Eir do something similar before. It was a diagnostic tool, allowing the healer to observe exactly what was going on. He was not prepared for what happened next.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

"…And what of _your_ reasons for attacking the _Æse_? The reasons of Jotunheim are obvious, I should think, after they almost obliterated us from the Nine Realms," Trym snarled at the cloaked figure considering him with a thoughtful look.

"I have them, that is all you need to know, frost giant. You need not concern yourself with my ...motivation." Trym's visitor spoke with a quiet intensity, his voice like a hissing snake.

Trym, the King of the _Jotne_, barked out a laugh. "Do you really expect me to just accept that you will help us, with little or nothing in return? And what of the Dark Elves? We do not have a particular good shared history with them, as you should well know."

"I am giving you the means to lead an attack on your hated enemy. Is that 'nothing in return' for you? How, pray tell, will you get your revenge on Odin All-Father and the _Æse_ without _me_?" The hooded figure growled back. He showed no obvious signs of aggression, but the tone of his voice made Trym's icy skin crawl nonetheless. Not for the first time, he wondered what he was getting himself into. But he was right, this stranger; Trym could not get his and Jotunheim's revenge without him. Still, there could be no harm in bargaining.

"While you may be right in that, let us get to the point. We will perform as your army. That does not come for free. I have a demand: I want Loki Odinson for myself," Trym attempted.

The air around them seemed to get sucked inwards, and for moments everything was still – which was rare in the windy frost-land of Jotunheim.

"You proposal is unacceptable, Trym." The hooded figure spoke coldly, as he gave the impression to straighten up to become several centimetres taller. Trym wanted to back away but stood his ground. He would not be intimidated, no matter the powers of his new 'friend'.

"I suggest you consider it, or we may well refuse your offer. If you can help us pass to Åsgard, there may be others – with more agreeable demands," Trym tried before he was cut off.

"No matter if you join me and the Dark Elves, or find someone else in the Universe, hear me well, Trym: LOKI LAUFEYSON IS MINE. And should you or anyone else stand in my way, I will gladly send you off to my Mistress without a second thought." The stranger did not raise his voice once; but it still sounded and felt like he was tearing Trym's head apart. And this time the king of Jotunheim did back up a step. Trym wasn't sure if it was the unveiled threat or the fact that the stranger had confirmed The Trickster's parentage.

"Fine. I accept your terms as discussed," Trym said while trying to seem as nonchalant as possible.

The hooded figure laughed; an evil, desolate sound with perverted joy in it. "It is good of you to reconsider, Trym. You see, I made him a promise not too long ago. And trust me, nothing you planned to do to Loki will surpass what I have planned for him. The company of my Mistress Death would be far too kind a fate for him."

Trym was not a coward. And he never felt cold, being a frost giant. But at the words of his new ally, he shivered violently.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Loki found himself on what he interpreted as wide plains, desolate and barren as far as he could see with his mind's eye. There was no light, yet any darkness either. It seemed empty. The only thing he could really perceive was an extremely loud, never-ending scream of terror and anguish. He tried to focus, and looked around. Finally he saw her; she was sitting with her knees drawn up under her chin, clutching the sides of her head with her hands. Loki doubted that it helped one bit. The noise was ear-deafening. He approached her gingerly.

"Jane? You need to come with me, we have to get out of here," He told her. She didn't react. _Valhall hjelpe meg_, he thought exasperated. He truly wanted to get out of here. How she managed to even stay alive this way, he had no conception of.

Loki focused his magical energy, it took all he had, but he managed to make a veil that he shrouded around himself and Jane. At once, the noise of the screaming diminished to a liveable sound-level. It would not last long, but at least he had a chance to get through to her – unless it was already too late.

Even with the worst of the screaming gone, Jane sat crouched down as before, shivering. But as soon as quiet fell upon them, she let out a loud breath of what appeared to be relief.

"Jane, you listen to me. We do not have much time." He pried her hands away from her ears. He noticed that her skin was uncomfortably hot, almost feverish.

Suddenly she spoke, unexpectedly. "Why? What is the point?"

"The point is that I do not want to be here any longer than I have to be. And you do not want that either. So why not just come with me?" he told her.

"It doesn't matter where I go. I'm still stuck here. I'll always be stuck here." Jane whispered.

"Well you see, that is simply not true. And 'always' is a very unreasonable concept, you would know that if you had the opportunity to experience 'always'. We are all worried about you, and now is not the time to quit and not be of help." Maybe appealing to her as if she was needed would work. It appeared to get through to her, because she finally looked at him.

"Help? There is nothing _I_ can do to help," she said bitterly.

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong, Jane." Loki kept his voice smooth and convincing, determined not to let the taxation of maintaining the absence of the noise shine through.

"You are needed out here. If anyone can help with repairing the Bifrost, it is you. You are the astrophysicist, are you not?" Without waiting for a reply, he continued: time was of the essence. "There is much yet to be done. After everything you have experienced the last year, after seeing proof of things you had not thought possible; yet you lie down and play dead because you lose hope? And Thor spoke so highly of you – was he wrong?" Loki knew he was being hard on her, but if it worked, it was worth it.

"You're right. I have seen things. Wonderful things and horrible things. And all it has showed me is that I have no control over any of it. Whatever I try to do, it slips through my hands and becomes something else. I didn't figure it out; I was dragged along and fooled myself into thinking I could make a difference – all this time. And what do I have to show for it? No close friends, no family, no ground-breaking research. Because I am stuck in a world where I don't belong, and where nothing makes sense. So why bother? Can you tell me that?" It was the longest monologue he had ever heard from her – and the sadness of her sense of defeat was affecting him in a way he had not anticipated. The parallel to his own story was unsettling.

"You do not think I understand that? I, who set out to help my home and family and ended up being cast out, gravely disappointing my family and making my few so-called friends turn on me? Being forced into becoming the villain in a pathetic, desperate attempt of making something out of myself and then _realizing_ the mistake, but having no choice but to try to make some sense out of it? Oh but you are a fool if you think yourself to be alone in that, Jane Foster." Loki felt his voice choke at the end of his speech, and furiously blinked away what threatened to become tears if he let them.

But she finally looked at him, as if she was seeing him for the first time. And the chaos around them diminished completely; Instead of the screaming, the sound of her breathing became louder. Loud but deep, calm breaths that fired a spark in him. There was something familiar about it; something he ought to remember, but he couldn't.

Suddenly he felt like he was floating away in a dreamlike way; he tried to focus his magic in a last attempt, but she slipped away from him as he lost all sense of direction, sound and vision. He found himself in the chair by the bedside in the healing room, looking down at Jane. And she looked back up at him, with conscious wonder in her eyes.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I trust at least a few of you have now guessed who Trym's visitor is? If not, I am being way too subtle...Though, Odin already guessed it ;)  
_As for Jane's state of mind:_ Everyone deals with grief, shock and/or depression differently. There is no text-book behaviour or way out of it. This is simply my interpretation of it. In my head, Jane is a very strong and independent woman. For the last few chapters (and probably for a couple more), I have portrayed her in a way that might seem weak, even spineless to some of you. All I can say to that is that I believe that everyone has the right to break down and be "weak" at some point. I don't see it as a character weakness or flaw in itself. Ultimately what matters is how you end up on the other side of it.

_Valhall hjelpe meg _= "Valhalla help me"

**I'll be very happy if you leave a review and tell me what you think! It means the world to me!**


	14. Chapter 13 Adjustments

**Author's Notes:** Thanks for all the lovely reviews! And especially to those who review anon – I'd love to reply to you in person! I'd like to remind you again that there will be a new one-shot prize for the 200th review...  
Also, apologies for my absence. The story will not be abandoned, but I have other fandoms as well (GoT for one, it's going to be crazy come April 1st), and a rather demanding real life at times. _Posted 27 March 2013._

**Music:** "The Silicone Veil" by Susanne Sundfør and "Sigh No More" by Mumford and Sons.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Adjustments**

I'm a larva wrapped in silk / I am dying in burning flesh  
Let me out, let me ache and itch / Get me out of this suit

Beauty is poisonous / disruptive  
Heaven must be an iron rose / unfolding  
Oh, let me in / Let me out / Let me in /Let me out!

Let the stars be my eyes then  
Unchain the knuckles and latches / Unbutton my wrists  
My skin so thin you can see black holes within / My eyes so clear they light up the sky  
And sometimes I'll bend into the silicone veil / And enter this world again as a ghost

_- "The Silicone Veil" by Susanne Sundfør  
_

Jane was sitting on a marble bench, on a built-in balcony, jotting down notes on a parchment she had been given. She would sometimes pause to watch the ever-impressive sun setting over the city of Åsgard. All the while listening to music on her beloved mp3-player she had accidentally brought with her through the worm-hole. In retrospect, she was immensely grateful for that – listening to some of her favourite songs made it all so much more bearable, though her pain and confusion lessened a little every day.

Jane rose from the bench and walked over to the edge of the balcony, leaning on her arms. Below her, the people of Åsgard moved around with a certainty and confidence she wished she could take more part in. The first few days after having been jolted from her apathy, she had moved like an old lady; slowly and stiffly, waiting for her body to adjust to being up and about again. Waking up to her new life and reality had at first felt like being stuck in her own skin – a skin that felt too tight for comfort, a suit or dress that was three sizes too small.  
Now that suit had expanded a little, but she still didn't feel comfortable.

But Jane had always made a decision to make the best of it; she had just been overwhelmed and forgotten about that decision. She felt embarrassed about it, though she rationally knew that it could have happened to the best. The worst part of it – or maybe it was the best part, she couldn't tell – was that no one could get through to her except for Loki. She wished she knew what that meant. It was undeniably interesting; and it added to her list over strange encounters with the man she partly felt she should fear and hate, partly felt was an anchor in his silent understanding, however reluctant. As if she needed more conflicting feelings as it were, she thought ironically to herself.

She tried not to think about him too much – after seeing him by her bedside, with that strangely vulnerable and unguarded expression on his face, he had disappeared for days. When she next saw him, he was guarded once again. His mask of nonchalance and quiet hostility slammed firmly in place, making it abundantly clear that he didn't wish to talk about the obvious connection that had formed between them.

The rejection stung, she didn't deny that; but even if he hadn't, she wouldn't know how to interact with him anyway. Lately she had felt so drawn to him it had begun to scare her. The last thing she needed now was to develop a crush on an unattainable man of a different race. She wanted a suitable emotional distance between them. In the quiet of the night though, a little voice whispered that it might be a little too late for that.

Thus, she had silently agreed to their mutual distance, at least for the time being. Eventually she would have to interact with him again. He held too many answers and possible clues to her new mission: to help rebuild the Bifrost. In spite of what Loki had told her of her importance to help, she very well knew that she had little idea of what she was doing. She was encouraged to help with it because there was nothing else for her to do in her unfortunate situation. It was better to pretend to help than to sit and brood in any case.

Although... Thor _had_ once told her that magic and science was the same on Åsgard – it seemed like a lifetime ago – but if it was true, she might be able to contribute, however little.

Jane turned her focus back to her attempt of organizing her thoughts into a game-plan for the next days. She was thinking of questions to ask Thor and Odin – and Loki, when she worked up the courage. Or when she found him. He moved around the city like a ghost, not even his mother knew where he spent his days. But somehow, he always turned up when they needed him. It didn't seem to bother anyone else; apparently they were used to him coming and going as he pleased. In any case, Thor had told her that Loki couldn't physically leave Åsgard – that was the main condition of his "parole", sort to speak. At first she had thought it a strange form of punishment; it wasn't similar to Earth, that was for sure. But after having lost her sense of direction and will power, Jane found she could sympathize more. Not having access to your full self, whether magic or ability to function as you were used to, no matter the reasons, was disruptive at best and paralyzing at worst.

"Jane?" a voice interrupted her reveries. She turned and saw Thor in the doorway.

"Hi Thor, what's up?" Jane replied, trying to muster up a smile for him. She felt bad about the distance she had enforced upon their relationship.

"I wanted to check on you. I know you said not to 'fuss' over you, but I do worry about you, now that you're spending a lot of time on your own. Especially now when..." Thor suddenly stopped talking, giving her a wary look. He tried to hide it with a big smile, but she had already seen it. "Anyway, I know you are working on your theory on how to repair the Bifrost-"

Jane cut him off. "What did you mean to say? 'Especially now when...'? When what?"

Thor cleared his throat and gestured towards the marble bench, and she moved to the side, beckoning him to sit down.

"I was going to say 'especially now that Loki is gone most of the time.'" he told her, looking steadily at her. Jane swallowed, but couldn't think of anything to say.

"Look, Jane... I am not going to pretend I know what is going on. What I know is that when you were gone, the only person who could find you – and you must believe that I looked for you – was Loki. When you were...asleep, the person who woke you was Loki. Surely that means something? Maybe you have an understanding of each other, or you speak the same language, in a sense. Lately, he has been...in a peculiar mood the few times we have seen him."

Jane listened to him as a feeling of uneasiness spread inside her chest. She had wondered about the same thing, but it made her uncomfortable to be confronted by it by Thor.

"How do you mean, he's been in a peculiar mood?" she asked him.

"He is ill-tempered, even for him. He does not always pay attention when we speak to him. He tried to hide it, but he is not paying attention to what is going on around him and that is uncharacteristic of him. If I ask about how he is, he barks back at me. It is the same with Father and... even Mother. Something is clearly troubling him." The fair-haired man leaned back and sighed.

"I haven't seen him since he helped me." Jane said, looking out at the sky. It was on fire; thousands nuances of red, yellow, blue and green. It was a peaceful kind of chaos, the slow death of a sunset.

"May I ask what you make of it? Of him?" Thor asked her, giving her a sideways glance.

Jane shifted, not wanting to think out loud. But she could tell he needed answers, and he could hardly be blamed for asking them of her.

"You know him better than I do, Thor." she said, even as she knew it would not satisfy him.

"Do I?" he countered. "I might have spent more time with him over the years, but I fear I no longer know my brother as I once did. He does not talk about what happened between us, before and during our dispute on Midgard."

"_Dispute_? Is that what you see it as?" Jane exclaimed. "People died, Thor. I think it was more than just a quarrel between brothers – at least for Loki."

"That is the point, Jane! He does not talk to me about it! He never shared his feelings openly, so when he schemed against me, it came as sudden as a falling star! I have considered petty jealousy, wanting power for himself, being controlled by Thanos from the start, hating us after he found out he was adopted...but unless he talks to me about it, how can I possibly know?" Thor said, frustration colouring his voice.

"I'm sorry, Thor. I know it's not easy for you either. And it was wrong of me to presume you don't take it as seriously as him. I can't speak for Loki. I don't really know him." Jane told him.

"But he must have told you something? How else did he get through to you when you were with the healers?"

"He did tell me something, but-" Jane stopped to search for words –"I don't think he meant to say what he did. If anything, it was a private 'conversation' and I don't think it's right to repeat what he said to me," she told him as softly as she could, but she could tell he was disappointed.

"I understand," he said, keeping his gaze on the sunset.

Jane sighed. "I'm sorry, Thor. I wish I could tell you something to ease your mind, but honestly I'm probably more confused than you are. When I first heard of Loki, he tried to kill us. When he came to Earth, he unleashed a deadly army of aliens on you. In my eyes, he was a dangerous criminal! I remember Darcy called him 'A calculating, manipulative killer with some serious family issues', and I had no reason to disagree with that. Until I met him in the maze a few days after coming here."  
Thor was listening intently to her, but dared not speak up in fear of discouraging her from saying more.

"I was scared when we met face to face, without anyone else around us. But in the end he sat down next to me as I read a book. I was baffled. It made me think that maybe he was lonely. We both understand loneliness, I suppose."

Thor held his tongue. He wanted to say that she was not alone, that he was right there – but he knew that wasn't what she meant. Instead they shared a few moments in silence, watching the last embers of the sunset disappear on the horizon as the bold darkness of the night replaced the light. But that darkness came with hope; myriads of stars slowly appeared instead, an unspoken promise of the continuation of light through the dark hours ahead. When Jane spoke again, he had almost forgotten what they had been talking about.

"I don't belong here. I feel safe enough, and I feel cared for. You have all made me feel very welcome. But I didn't choose to stay here. And I can't help but feel alone, even if I'm surrounded by people who only want to help and support me. And for some reason, Loki understands that. He's still acting snarky and he has yelled at me more than once, but he _gets it_. I don't need to talk to him to know that, I can feel it. And it makes me feel a little less alone. That's all I can tell you. Although, why he's acting the way he does know, I don't know. Maybe he's fed up with me and my problems." Her voice broke, and she wiped her eyes – annoyed at herself for her display of sadness. She couldn't whine about Loki not liking her, what was that about?

Thor was quiet for a long time before he spoke again.

"Jane, I do not think he is angry with you. I would not worry too much about that," he finally said.

She smiled at him, unconvinced, but glad for his reassurance nonetheless.

"I think Loki is adjusting to everything, just as I am. It takes time, but I hope an believe he will come around. It's not too late for you to be brothers again, I think," she said, offering him reassurance in return.

Thor grinned and stood. "I hope you are right, dear Jane. Now, should we not get some food in our bellies?"

"Careful Thor, you're beginning to sound like Volstagg!" she teased as she followed him inside, and Thor laughed heartily – both happy that the gloomy mood was broken.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL ** **  
**

The following weeks settled into a predictable routine for all on Åsgard. No further warning signs came, and although still very much on alert, the _Æse _relaxed a little. Odin watched the polluted magic orb carefully, but was all in all grateful for the extra time to prepare his people with the help of Thor. Loki kept his distance to everyone except his closest family who saw him occasionally. Jane spent her days wandering the palace, doing research and general reading in the magnificent library. Sometimes she walked out to the broken Bifrost, trying to will it to provide her with answers. There was little progress in her attempted work on repairing the rainbow bridge – she didn't have equipment, and not many understood her scientific theories anyway. It was a frustrating process.

Every day her pain withdrew a little bit, though sometimes she would feel it slam into her being, almost chocking her. It would always happen unexpectedly; she could be deep in thought, and having forgotten her surroundings, instinctively turn around to ask Erik for his input on something. He was not there.

Jane woke one day and felt awful. It was one of those days where everything felt wrong from the start. She lay in bed trying to think positive thoughts, until she could stand no more of herself. She quickly dressed and tried to distract herself with breakfast and then reading in the library. Well into the afternoon she slammed the book she was reading shut and got up. Driven by an indefinable urgency to move, she hurriedly walked out of the palace, only stopping by the royal kitchen to grab something for lunch. When she passed a flagon of mead, she snapped it up without thinking and walked to the entrance of the gardens. The ancient forest appeared instantly, filled with warm sunlight and chirping birds as if welcoming her back after her absence.

"Yeah I'm sorry," she muttered as she found a path to follow. "I wanted to come, I was just trying to figure some stuff out." The forest hummed deeply in response – it didn't surprise her anymore – and she smiled in spite of her foul mood. "You listen, but you don't talk back much. I have to admit, it's one of the things I like about you..." Jane smirked to herself and then flailed her arms wildly to regain the balance after tripping over a root. She stopped and scowled at it, certain it had not been there moments before.

"I suppose I deserved that," she snickered. The forest hummed back with what she interpreted it as laughter. Jane ventured deeper into the forest. Though she had been there before, it looked new – she followed the path the forest made for her, and eventually came to a small clearing. It was not the same as before, for which she was grateful. She had no desire to remember that night. "I'm taking a day off, you know?" she told her friend as she chewed down on an apple and opened the flagon of mead she had brought. "I think I deserve to relax." The only reply this time was the relaxing rustle of the wind blowing through the leaves.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL ** **  
**

On her way back to the palace, hours later and more than a little tipsy, Jane fumbled in the dark, trying to be quiet. The forest mercifully led her to the back door, an entrance to the palace that meant she didn't have to stumble across the open square where the guards would surely see her and question her mental state more than ever. She had every right to take a time-out, but she didn't want any questioning about it. The doorstep was covered in shadows created by the combination of night and moonlight. She thought she saw one of them move away from the door. Just before she reached the doorstep, another root appeared and tripped her. She fell forward and called out in surprise.

"What the fuck was that? I didn't even say anything you bastard!" she yelled to the forest, more in anger and surprise than pain. She had landed softly on a patch of moss.

Someone grabbed her elbow and hoisted her back up on her feet.

"You should not take it personally. The forest has its own agenda, I think," a deep voice drawled.

Jane blinked, and focused. She knew that voice. _Loki_.

"Oh my god...where the hell have you _been_?" she blurted out.

Jane could not see his face in the dark, but she swore she could feel his scowl.

"I fail to see how that is any of your concern, _mortal_." He replied snidely.

"Oh, we're back to that now, are we?" she said, trying to hide the hurt tone in her voice and failing miserably. "I haven't seen you for weeks! I wanted to ask you about the Bifrost, and..." her voice drifted off. She didn't know what she wanted to say. That she wanted to be his friend? She supposed that was the honest truth of it, but he would surely laugh in her face.

"...and you decided to get drunk on the mead of the _Æse_ instead?" he finished the sentence for her. He sounded half-amused, half-disinterested about it.

Even as she began her reply, she knew the wisest cause of action was to keep her mouth shut. Her speech was slurred from alcohol and she was crossing the line with every word she said to him, but she could not stop herself.

"Dude. Don't even try to preach to me about drinking. Phu-lease. I'm a grown woman and I needed a bloody break from...well, everything! I'm not getting anywhere with the Bifrost-problem and since you have found it so convenient to disappear from the face of the Earth in spite of everything that has happened, after everything that was _said_ –" She was cut off by his hand brusquely covering her mouth, while pushing her against the stone walls. The moonlight fell on his face, and although she was no longer afraid of him hurting her, her adrenaline started pumping when she saw how menacing he looked. His eyes burned into hers as he hissed.

"You speak as if you know me, mortal. After a few calculated words to get your attention? I suggest you start to use that so-called intelligence of yours." He dropped her suddenly, and she sank to the ground, her chest heaving. Loki begun to withdraw into the shadows of the trees behind him, but stopped when the forest gave off a menacing sound of its own. It sounded like giant trees splitting in half.

In spite of the recent shock, or maybe because of it, Jane laughed. The meaning of her friend's reaction was obvious to both her and Loki.

"Call off your watch-dog, Jane." Loki suddenly sounded strangely weary and her smile faded quickly.

"Loki? Do you think maybe we could meet sometime without fighting like this? I really do need your help, you know." Jane had wanted to sound composed and rational, but her voice came out sounding small and quivering. Damn it all, she would not cry in front of him again.

"It would be better if you simply stayed out of my way."

"Better for who?" she retorted.

"Fine then." he snapped, and was gone – blended in with the shadows and leaves like he had never been there.

"You should take care of him. He won't hurt me." Jane told her protector, before stumbling to her feet again and entering the palace. She felt tired; and moved stiffly, like she was a hundred years old.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

Two days passed before Loki showed up. When he did, he was almost polite and courteous, not mentioning their encounter outside the palace with a word. She could feel the wall of fake formality between them, however. He had put on the mask of a prince assisting a guest in his home. It irked her immensely. But she put up a show of her own, calmly explaining her suggestions so far, and asking him questions of how they could combine their knowledge to fix the Bifrost. Loki politely discarded some of her theories, but helped her on her way to a couple new ones. It would seem that magic would be the main ingredient, that and some vital materials. Materials and building she could understand, but the magic part was harder for her to grasp.

"We would have to get a shipment of crystal, which the bridge itself is made of. That, Heimdall's help and a significant amount of magic...'persuasion' will be a good start. Unfortunately, the only thing we do have is Heimdall right now." Loki said, running a hand through his raven black hair. Jane was fascinated with the movement, maybe because she had never seen him do it before – he never fidgeted, never. But they had been at it for hours without much result, and they were both getting tired.

"I don't even know how to start on that." Jane sighed.

"It is not too difficult; we could do a lot with some help from the _Æse_. But with the current situation..." he mused.

"You can't leave in case something happens, can you?" she asked, firmly ignoring the leap her heart made when he said 'we'.

"I could, but what we lack is time...and magic resources," he told her.

"I see." Jane didn't know what else to say. It was important to get the Bifrost repaired, but even if they got the materials needed, the Kingdom lacked their source of magic to do the main work. It was a strangely simple yet complicated process due to the missing pieces that were so crucial.

When they got ready to leave the library, a silence hung between them; the formality had gone stale and barely covered the things yet unsaid. Even Loki – as skilled an actor as he was – found it hard to keep up appearances as he superficially and courtly bid her goodbye for the day.

When he had left, Jane sank down on a chair, trembling slightly. She did not know why this man affected her so, and gods knew he shouldn't, but there it was. Even like this, she enjoyed his presence. Even when it hurt that she couldn't reach out to him. It was probably for the best, she thought, as she remembered how transfixed she had been watching his hand going through his hair. "Keep it together, Jane," she sighed to herself.

As for Loki, it was all he could do not to break into a run to get out of the palace and into the ancient forest. It was there waiting for him almost on a daily basis now. He had stopped wondering why, thinking that if it had its reasons, he was better off not knowing. Once safe between the trees, out of reach of possible prying eyes, he exhaled deeply.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL **

A few days later he was again in the forest, on his usual restless wanderings. After his last visit to Jane and the palace, he had spent all his time outside, save for a few gatherings with Odin and Thor. It was too quiet, they had concluded; the calm before the storm. It had been a relief at first, now it was beginning to get on everyone's nerves. Loki's mood was fouler than usual – he suspected the mysterious someone was after him and consequently the _Æse_; making it his fault. He wanted it over with – no matter the result. In addition to that, he had other reasons to be in a bad mood. The situation with Jane Foster was constantly nagging at the back of his head. Loki had – unwillingly – created a bond between them when he used magic to reach her in her previous state. He could have ignored it, had it not been for the fact that she obviously felt it as well. He doubted she was consciously aware of it, however. If he focused, he could feel the presence of her at the edges of his mind. Like the brush of a butterfly's wings against his fingertips.

Loki didn't want it. He wanted to be left alone. _Do you though? _He rejected the unwelcome thought as fast as it appeared. He shook his head irritably, as if it could make it go away. He had spent time walking the ancient forest and a multitude of other versions of the Royal Gardens, as well as travelling around the realm to seek solitude and try to figure out what it all meant.

It was the beginning of a another restless night; the sun had set a few minutes ago, and the forest had quieted down. Loki walked soundlessly through the undergrowth, dragging his fingers along the trunk of a tree. Suddenly a noise he didn't recognize made him stop dead in his tracks. Warily he followed the sound through the trees, ready to attack if it was someone unwelcome.

Soon he could hear more clearly; it was a woman's voice and he understood immediately who it was. He heard her singing – _singing?_ – loudly, her voice slurred but insistent. Curious against his better judgement, he moved closer until he could see her. She was facing a tree, swinging around it with her hands grasping it as if she was dancing with it - before letting go and half-jumping, half-tripping over to another one, repeating her solitary dance. She sang a sentimentally happy song. Her voice wasn't all that bad, he thought, but she looked like she had finally lost it. Still, in a brief pang he envied her what appeared to be a completely carefree moment. She looked happy . He didn't move; instead watching and listening to the words.

_Love, it will not betray you,_  
_dismay or enslave you –_  
_It will set you free!_  
_Be more like the man_  
_you were made to be!_

The words as well as the melody were ridiculously optimistic, he thought. And yet, he realized the scene was making a smile tug at his lips. Soon, Jane was singing the same verse over and over, and after two or three repeats as her voice grew louder and more urgent, Loki decided to step in.

"I see you still favour the mead of the _Æse_."

Jane practically jumped around to face him, startled by the sound of his voice. To his surprise, she merely flashed him a brilliant smile.

"Yes, I do! I am currently gloriously drunk. It's awesome, you should try it sometime. I feel light and heavy, sad and happy but the best part is that I feel careless. Not a woooooorry in the world!" she said and twirled around once, almost tripping over her own feet in the process. She laughed.

Then she turned serious, looking at him with glassy eyes.

"Maybe you really should try it. You look far too serious, Loki." she told him.

Her lack of fear of him, and the direct way she spoke to him caught him off guard, again. He could not phantom how she could be so relaxed around him; not just now – he suspected the alcohol played a part in that – but in general. She spoke to him like an equal. It was unsettling.

"I have indeed tried the mead. Without making a fool of myself, I might add." he drawled, trying to appear as his usual composed, arrogant self.

"How would I be making a fool of myself?" she laughed. "I was the only one here until you showed up, except for my non-judgemental friend – she nodded upwards to the trees – and _you _don't like me anyway. So why would that matter to me?" Jane sat down heavily against one of the trees, leaning her head back.

Loki could tell it did matter, and a short sting of regret passed through him.

"Your time is spent here as you wish – I am not judging you." he said, offering her a subtle apology.

"Aren't you?" she countered, giving him a loaded look. He didn't reply, just crossed his arms over his chest and considered her for a long time.

"You do not belong here." he told her, without malice in his voice. It was a statement, a fact.

She hmpf'ed at him. "You have a knack for pointing out the obvious, don't you?" she replied bitterly.

"And yet, neither do you belong on Midgard anymore, I think." he continued.

She looked up at him then. "Why would you say that?" her voice tinged with disappointment.

"Think about it, Jane. You don't belong here, and yet you have been distancing yourself from Midgard since the second you arrived. You were meant to stay here for a few days, maybe weeks at most. How would it be to go back home now? When what you have seen, what you have experienced and learned, only a handful of people will believe?"

She considered his words, and her face fell.

"You're right." she whispered. "I'm stuck in between." She sighed, then looked at him thoughtfully.

"But so are YOU, aren't you? You don't belong properly either, do you? You belong to two words as well, and are stuck in between." She sounded almost proud of her deduction.

Loki raised an eyebrow at her. He found her rather rude, but he forgave it due to the circumstances. The conversation was refreshing, and in her inebriated state, she was as easy to read as a book. She meant no harm.

"i suppose I am stuck in between as well, if you want to look at it like that." he replied. He could not deny the truth in her words, though it did sting a little to hear it out loud.

She looked into the air, her face screwed up in concentration as she began to whisper something, as if thinking out loud.

Loki leaned closer, curious.

"...between, in between, in betweeeen...we're both in between... you know what?" she raised her voice and looked at him with big eyes. "We're both in-be-TWINS!" she said, looking dead serious. Then she giggled once, before she fell apart laughing.

Loki had to smile then. She was drunk and silly and childish, but instead of it annoying him, he found it strangely endearing.

Soon, she sobered up again and looked at him with a sad expression on her face.

"What do the 'in betweens' do, Loki?" she asked him.

He considered her question, wondering the same. "Make the best of it, I suppose." he answered. It was a lousy answer, but it was all he had. Jane nodded, and they were silent.

Not long after, she fell asleep under the tree; Oblivious to the dark man standing vigil for her as she slept, as he had once before.

* * *

**AN:** What do you think? Worth the wait, or a waste of your time? I'd like to hear your opinion...  
Check out my tumblr for a picture of the ancient forest (as I kind of picture it anyway)! My pen name is YvaineSss, or search for #Shared Silence.


	15. Chapter 14 Intruders

**Author's Notes:**  
Thanks for the feedback, it's still as appreciated as in the beginning, maybe more so now…  
We're close to 200 reviews, which mean it'll be time for a new one-shot soon! **Who wants to play?**  
Check out #Shared Silence or yvainesss on Tumblr for information on updates!  
_First posted 30 April 2013_

**Music:** "Where Are You Now" by Mumford and Sons, "Ride to Observatory" from the Thor soundtrack and (last part) "Counting" by Autre Ne Veut.

**Warnings:** Depictions of violence and death.

* * *

**Chapter 14: "Intruders"**

_I'm counting on the idea that you'll stay, I'm counting on the idea that you'll stay alive  
_- Autre Ne Veut

It would probably go down in history as the worst hangover, as far as Jane was concerned. She woke up alone in the woods; with a splitting headache and a solemn promise to herself to never ever get that drunk again. As the memories from the previous night begun to creep into her consciousness, she shuddered. Her behaviour was yet another good reason to stay away from mead in the future. While she suspected that Loki could handle anything she threw at him, she still felt embarrassed when she thought about how she had spoken to him. He didn't seem like the kind of person who took too well to harsh truths. She had been very familiar with him, and with words and actions she had begged him for his company and his understanding. In his own way, she supposed he had acquiesced to her not-so-subtle pleading. Jane hadn't meant to take it so far; but she hadn't intended to meet him there yet again either. And in retrospect, she had difficulties remembering what her intentions for getting drunk in the forest had been in the first place. It had been spontaneous and childish, and it wouldn't help her with anything. Still, it had _almost_ been worth it – to feel irresponsible and carefree for a few hours. Almost.

She sighed, and got to her feet. She supposed it was just as well that she had absolutely no recollection of how their somewhat peculiar rendezvous had ended. Jane remembered referring to Loki as her twin – the memory made her cringe – and then everything had gone black. Maybe it was best not to think of it.  
The walk back to the palace was cumbersome and when she finally got to her room she ignored the urge to take a bath. Jane simply slipped under the sheets of her bed and promptly fell asleep again.

Later when she woke up by a knock on her door, it was already dark outside. Her head felt better, but she probably still looked a bit of a mess – judging from the surprised look on Thor's face when she opened the door.

"Jane? What happened?" he asked her, concern showing on his handsome features.

"Oh, nothing, I just pretended I could drink mead like Volstagg," she said ironically. Thor blinked at her and then chuckled.

"Oh Jane, that is a task best left to Volstagg himself; no one can best him at that!" he said, giving her a wink. "Would you join us for dinner?" he continued, after a moment of hesitation.

"Right now?!" Jane wasn't quite prepared for the offer, wanting to disappear back under the covers of her bed.

"You have time to bathe and dress, of course," Thor smiled knowingly.

Part of her wanted to say no; but socializing _was_ part of her new "suck-it-up-and-don't-wallow-in-your-misery"-plan, so she asked him to give her an hour before coming back to escort her to the dining hall.

Jane was grateful for Frigg's generosity; a whole wardrobe was at her disposal. Usually Jane wore her clothes from Earth. The rich dresses most women wore here were too different, too nice for Jane's taste. She had always preferred clothes that were practical and didn't restrict her movements. For some situations, however, a pretty dress was better suited. Like for dinner parties with royalty, for instance.  
In all honesty, like most women of her age, Jane appreciated the opportunities to "play dress-up" now and then – it did make her feel beautiful. In the end, she picked out a long gown in a brilliant bronze colour with a matching leather corset. The corset, thought not overly comfortable to wear, gave her dress a little edgy look. When Thor returned to escort her to the dining room, he complimented her as his eyes sparkled.

It had been a while since she had dined with Frigg and Odin as everyone had been a little preoccupied lately. Still, Frigg welcomed her as an old friend of the family, and the meal and pleasant conversation was just what Jane needed to soothe her mind, though talking about home was a little difficult. Luckily, they didn't press the subject, well aware of her hurt.

After eating, Odin and Thor left Jane and Frigg alone to a dessert wine on the adjoining balcony. The Queen was good company; she felt more and more like a friend to Jane – though it was hard to forget to whom she was speaking with.

"I have been meaning to ask you, Jane – and you must forgive me for not having done so before – how are you doing? Truly?" Frigg suddenly asked her after exchanging pleasantries about the dinner.

"In all honesty, Your Majesty?" Jane twirled her glass around in her hands, watching Frigg as the Queen responded with a gentle nod.

"It's pretty hard to accept that I might never go home. I miss it. As beautiful as it is here and as wonderful everyone is, I don't belong here – as Loki so pointedly told me." Jane froze as the words left her mouth; she had not meant to bring him into the conversation.

Frigg arched an eyebrow and cocked her head questioningly. _He must get that from her_, Jane thought as she blushed.

"Loki can be... –" Frigg paused and stared into the shadows covering the balcony wall – "…difficult to communicate with."

Jane snorted softly. The Queen was being very modest in describing Loki's lack of manners – then again, she seemed to bring out the worst in him. Jane had never seen him rude or hostile to anyone except herself and the closest friends and members of the royal family.

Frigg looked at Jane again, apparently following the younger woman's trail of thought. "It is a peculiar trait of Loki, you see. The ruder he is, the more it means that he cares, how strange it might seem. You would never have him admit to it however; but that is why he is so angry with Thor. Because deep down, he does care."

Jane could only nod. She wanted to ask why he then was he so hostile towards her – but didn't find the courage to ask. Besides, how could she hold it against him any longer? Jane neither wanted nor could; not after seeing the few glimpses of his softer side. He _had_ been kind to her, he just hid it well.

"I keep bumping into him," Jane admitted. "He keeps…I don't know, helping me in one way or another."

Frigg looked at her with a soft smile. "How peculiar indeed…Why do you think that is, Jane?"

Jane laughed. "I'm not sure he realizes that he _is_ helping me. Or if he does, I doubt he intends to. I must be such a nuisance to him."

The Queen looked intently at her, as if trying to read her. "Loki was always a special boy to me. So full of life and mischief. He loved to play tricks on his brother and friends – and he was so very good at it. As he grew older, he became a master of subtlety; and he grew more careful – guarded – in his features and actions alike. That had its reasons, I believe. He took on the responsibility of a grown man when Thor was still a boy at heart." Frigg gazed into the shadows again. "They have both made mistakes, my sons. I do not love them less. I am of the opinion that they have both paid for their bad decisions, and will continue to do so before all this is over." She sighed and fell into silence.

Jane was quiet for a while. It made an impression on her to hear Frigg's description of her sons. It was hard to imagine either of them as young boys, innocent and full of boyish pranks. Finally, one of the questions she had carried with her slipped out of her.

"If I may, Your Majesty… how exactly has Loki paid for his crimes? I only ask because, well, where I come from we have a little different view on crime and punishment. Punishment here compared to punishment on Earth are rather different," Jane asked. She was a little worried that her question might be considered rude, but it was asked in earnest.

"I do not doubt that it must seem strange to you. We could have imprisoned Loki, of course. It has been done before, and I am certain there are people among the _Æse_ who would have preferred it that way. But you have to understand-" Frigg leaned closer to Jane, her voice an intense whisper "-that Loki would not become a better man by being imprisoned. Quite the contrary. And I would never allow it, unless there was a real danger to the realm of Åsgard or others."

Frigg leaned back into her chair and took a sip of her wine.

"I know my sons, Jane. And I doubt that any punishment we could give would be more grave than the one Loki is already giving himself," she said, her voice sad.

"I don't know your sons like you do, Your Majesty. But I remember Thor's pain when he thought he had lost everything. He gave up everything he had in order to make things right. As for Loki…I don't understand his actions on Earth. For a time I was just trying to wrap my head around what happened; that creatures from a different world almost destroyed an entire city. I don't think Loki was…himself, although that's just a guess on my part." Jane felt her words were inadequate to explain, so she left it at that.

"Tell me Jane, would you condemn Loki based on his actions or on whom he is?" Frigg wondered. Jane thought it a strange question.

"I would like to think that I don't condemn anyone at all, Your Majesty. If I know anything, it is that good people can make bad choices," the younger woman replied carefully.

"You are wise for your years, Jane. Thank you." Frigg smiled. "Now, I believe you should get some rest. It is well into the night."

Jane stood; she was tired and a little grateful for the dismissal as much as she had enjoyed the conversation. She bid Frigg goodnight and went back to her room, where sleep came easily.

On the balcony, Frigg watched the mortal woman leave with a smile on her lips. She then turned back to the shadows by the wall.

"Loki, _kjæraste – kom ut frå skuggane,_" she whispered. Slowly, reluctantly, Loki came forth. He had the decency to look embarrassed.

"What have I said about lurking in the shadows like that? It is rude and unbecoming to listen to other's private conversations," she scolded him.

"It is what I do, is it not?" he replied in defense, a small smirk toying at the corner of his mouth.

"You choose what you do, only you and no one else, no matter their expectations of you." Frigg shot back, a hard edge to her voice.

"Very well, then I apologize for my rudeness. I suppose I should have known you would know I was there. I can sneak up on anyone in the Nine Realms – save for you, Mother."

"What mother would I be if I did not know my sons?" Frigg told him, her voice gentle again. She cocked her head. "Well? Did our conversation interest you?" she inquired.

Loki looked away. The conversation _had_ interested him, but he was loathe to admit it, even to his mother. But he suspected she already knew that. Frigg looked at him knowingly.

"She is something out of the ordinary, is she not?"

"The mortal girl?" Loki feigned nonchalance – old habits die hard.

"Of course!" Frigg huffed. "And her name is _Jane_, as you well know! And she is hardly a _girl_."

"No, I suppose she is not," Loki mused, unwilling to go in that direction of the conversation.

"Your father said you will go to the Rainbow Cave in the morning?" Frigg asked out of the blue.

His eyes narrowed by the persistent use of the word "father". He could accept Frigg as "Mother", but not Odin, not yet. He let it pass.

"Yes. I will bring two of the guards to see if we can use some of the crystals for the new Bifrost when we come to the point of rebuilding it," Loki replied, wary of the sudden change of subject.

"You should bring her with you." The look Frigg gave him implied that it was not a suggestion.

"Why are you so intent on me spending time with her?" Loki snapped.

"Loki –" Frigg warned him "–it is time she saw more of this realm. And if I am not mistaken, you get along just fine in each other's company."

"Oh, so that is what you think? Maybe you think we should become the best of friends and we will both be _healed_, is that it?" Anger bled through his voice.

"And why not?" Frigg shot back, standing up in a fluid, graceful movement.

"She does not know who – _what_ – I am!" he told her, spreading his arms to the sides.

"Then maybe you should tell her!" Frigg raised her voice to match his. Loki shook his head helplessly.

"What you are, does not change who you are, _sonen min_. It does not matter to the ones who love you," Frigg whispered.

"It matters to _me_," he told her quietly before turning around and walking away, leaving Frigg with unshed tears in her eyes.

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL**

In spite of his objections to his mother, Loki did send for Jane the following morning. He was both surprised and a little impressed that she swallowed her embarrassment he knew she felt and showed up. On Jane's part, she was simply too intrigued by the idea of seeing more of the Kingdom to pass the opportunity. Joined by two _Æse _escorting them, they traveled by horse to get to the Rainbow Cave. Loki had been there a multitude of times before, of course – but for Jane, it was a real adventure. Anxious about riding a horse for the first time since she was a girl, she barely dared to look around at first as they rode through the city of Åsgard. She had been unnecessarily worried however; her chestnut mare had a gentle temper and it did not take long before she relaxed. Loki and his black stallion led them through the city gates and along a big river to the left, while on the opposite side large trees blocked the view. Once outside the city, they let their horses trot on the dirt road. After a while, Jane could have sworn she suddenly heard the familiar rumble of the Ancient Forest, and she asked Loki about it.

"It is indeed the Ancient Forest," he nodded. "It is everywhere on Åsgard; in every tree it chooses to be. Surely you are not surprised by now that it chooses to follow you?"

Jane was surprised, but that was a surprise she didn't mind at all.

On the way, she got to talk with the two _Æse_ who had joined them; a burly blonde named Arnbjørn, and a more lanky yet muscular red-headed man called Steinar. Arnbjørn was a quiet, solemn type, yet friendly as they all were. Steinar was all smiles and charm; he reminded her a little of Thor when they had first met on Earth. Loki rode on at the front, choosing not to participate in the conversation between the other three. Steinar and Arnbjørn didn't mind to answer all the questions that rushed out of the petite brunette from Midgard. Jane was back in research-mode again and found she had missed it greatly. She lightened up as she hadn't done since her very first days on Åsgard, it seemed like a life-time ago.

The two men were both guards and warriors, but they had also been selected because they were familiar in the area they were going to, as well as to the usage of the material the Bifrost had been built of.

"It is a kind of stone though its appearance is more like crystal or diamond. The description does not do it true justice," Steinar tried to explain. "You will see when we get there. It is a wondrous place, truly. I suppose you could call it a crystal cave, though it is not like any other crystal I have ever seen; the colour is like the rainbow, all in one – you know what the Rainbow Bridge looks like?"

"Yes, I have had the pleasure of seeing it as well as walking on it," Jane replied with a smile in return. "So the colour is all natural?"

Steinar confirmed. "It is strong as well – it is hard work to get even a tiny rock loose. Better to have it done with the help of magic," he gestured towards Loki's back, who promptly ignored them.

"What makes the bridge…I dunno, respond to touch? Is it the material or something to do with the construction of the bridge?" Jane asked.

"It is not the bridge but the material itself," Arnbjørn shot in. "Just you wait, Lady Jane. I doubt you have ever seen anything like it," he declared with a nod of certainty in her direction.

"You lot sure know how to build up a girl's expectations, don't you?" Jane laughed. The two _Æse_ were happy to be able to make her laugh and the rest of their trip was filled with questions and descriptions, making Jane's restless heart swell with the feeling of new friendships and good company. She even forgot about Loki's brooding silence as he led them to the Rainbow Caves.

After a couple of hours they arrived; they had ventured away from the river and into the woods, following a road that was no more than a half-overgrown path that seemed to not have been used for a while. They dismounted and left their horses to grass under the shade of the trees as Loki led them up to the side of a mountain that seemed to rise straight from the ground. Like most things in Åsgard, the colour of the stone was brighter and more intense than anything on Earth. It was a blue- grey colour with specks of rainbow colours here and there. Jane looked around in marvel until she followed Loki and her new friends inside a rather small cave opening. Spontaneously, tears filled up in her eyes as she gasped out loud. It wasn't a big cave, just enough for about 10-15 people to stand inside. Only a little light reached the circular room from the opening, but it seemed to reach all the walls and fill the room. Everything was colour; even as she turned around and looked at her companions, they seemed to be made of the light of the rainbow.

"This is unreal," she breathed.

Loki had to smile at that. He remembered having a similar reaction the first time he had been brought here as a boy. Jane was walking around in awe, gingerly touching the walls and laughing softly as the stone or crystal – whatever it could be compared to –responded to her touch by changing from blue to green to yellow to red. He regarded her in silence. He hadn't wanted her to come today, feeling strangely uneasy around her. His mother's words had not made him more eager to spend time with her – if any of the Queen's words were true then it was a hard truth to swallow for the fallen prince. But as he watched her, he was glad she had come. At least someone could enjoy these sights – because he could not, not anymore. Only through her, for a brief moment could he remember how it had been to be so…_young_.

A polite cough made him turn around to see Steinar and Arnbjørn wait for him to instruct them. Their faces were guarded, but not hostile like some of the _Æse_ were towards him. Loki knew Jane's non-judgemental easiness around his person had something to do with that as well.

"Right then, gentlemen. Let us begin."

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL**

After their assessment of the cave and answering almost all of Jane's questions, Loki decided it was time to return to the city and palace. A decision spurred on by the rumbling of their stomachs; they had been out most of the day already and would take some time to get back. The little food they had brought had been eaten. Steinar and Arnbjørn walked out first, followed by Loki who looked back to see Jane lingering, unable to take her eyes off the cave walls.

"Jane," he beckoned and saw her following him as he stepped out into the soft afternoon light. Two things happened then: an angry rumbling sound filled the air at the same time as Steinar called out in alarm as a spear flew through the air and hit Arnbjørn in the neck, killing him instantly. Loki and Steinar threw themselves instinctively to the side as more spears came down on them; one hitting Steinar in the leg. Loki twirled around but saw no attacker. Suddenly a _Jotne_ jumped down on him, and they wrestled on the ground. He saw Steinar get knocked down by a second Frost Giant as Jane came out of the cave, taking in the sight before her with a shocked expression before crouching down and against the mountain wall.

"Jane, _RUN_!" he pressed out just as the Jotne pinned him down with a grip around his throat. He saw she had heard him; he saw she was running towards the horses before a sharp pain shot through his chest. With some effort, he swiftly conjured up a fire dagger and jammed it into the Jotne's head. It didn't even have time to scream; it just fell over him and died. Trying to get up to help Jane and Steinar, Loki realized he was badly hurt as well as stuck under the weight of the dead Jotne. The pain in his chest increased until he saw red spots before his eyes – there was no time to summon up magic before he slipped into unconsciousness.

Jane saw the _Æse_ get attacked. There was nothing she could do. Two huge, blue monsters jumped them – the gentle Arnbjørn didn't stand a chance. She barely had time to register that Steinar was losing his battle with his opponent when she saw the same appeared to happen to Loki as well. She heard his command to her, and stood up to race towards the horses, hoping to jump on one of them to get help, or _something_. If she stayed, she would be killed. She had almost reached her mare when another spear shot past her, hitting the horse in the flank. The horses all reared and bolted, except for the beautiful chestnut mare that sunk to the ground whinnying.

She turned around and saw one of the monsters walk towards her, an evil grin on its face. His – _its?_ – teeth were long and sharp, like fangs. Red eyes gleamed menacingly at her. Her eyes darted over to Loki and she screamed out; the second blue _thing_ jammed a short blue spear through his chest, pinning him to the ground. Jane backed away as she moved to looked at the enemy approaching her. Another rumble filled the air. It was an angry and upset sound, but Jane recognized it none the less. _The trees_, she thought wildly as she turned around from the horror in front of her and attempted to run again.

She didn't get far; something knocked her over and she fell face down on the ground with a yelp of pain and fear. She turned around and saw the blue creature lean over her. Quickly she lifted her foot and kicked it in the face. She saw it was already bleeding several places – apparently Steinar hadn't gone down without a fight. Her kick did little to slow him down however; it laughed at her and gripped her ankle as she scooted backwards. She screamed out in pain; the creature's mere touch on her skin burned, his grip etching into her skin. Suddenly, behind her she saw Steinar fight to get to his knees. He raised a dagger and flung it into her attackers back. He howled out in pain, and in a swift movement, got to his feet, turned around and sent what looked like sharp icicles through the air. They hit Steinar in the chest and that was that. Jane took the opportunity to get to her feet to run again as the attacker turned his attention back to her even as he was badly hurt by Steinar's dagger.

He grabbed her left arm and got ready to strike her with what looked like a huge chunk of razorblade sharp ice; only it was part of his arm. Jane threw her weight backwards, though she knew it was no use. A large crack filled the air then as a nearby tree was uprooted and crashed into her attacker. His wounds had slowed him down and he was crushed under the weight of the tree. Her arm was grazed by the tree as well, and the new pain only added to that of her leg and back. She sunk down to her knees unable to stand any longer. Her heart beat wildly and she was afraid she would pass out – only if she did, if there were more attackers around…Jane forced herself to stay conscious, trying to calm her breath as she looked around for more signs of trouble. "Thank you," she panted. The forest, how impossible it all was, hummed in response. "I don't suppose you can get us out of here?" she murmured more to herself than to it. Even magical forests have its limits. In any case, there was no response. Everything was quiet around her. The quiet didn't reassure her at all, but she kept calm, ready to react if there was still danger. _Think, Jane. What do I do next?_

**LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL**

She had to get help somehow. Her leg and arm was throbbing with pain, and she winced when she cast a glance at her ankle, where the attacker had grabbed her. The skin had turned a dark blue – almost black. It burned. Jane forgot about it as soon as she finally heard something; a soft grunt of pain in the direction of the cave.

"Oh my god! Loki!" she hissed, feeling panic rise as her own survival instinct diminished. She more or less crawled the few meters over to him, amazed he was even alive still. Her amazement grew when she actually looked at him.

"What do I do?" she moaned. Nothing in the worlds could have prepared her for the sight in front of her. He looked like Loki, the hair and facial features were the same, as were his clothes – but his skin was a dark midnight blue, imprinted with intricate patterns. A stray thought about tribal tattoos she had once seen on a documentary flew through her mind. At the sound of her voice, Loki opened his eyes and it was all she could do not to scream again – this time in surprise and confusion. Deep, gleaming red eyes met brown.

"What is wrong with you?" she whispered.

Loki raised his right hand and looked at it. Jane lifted her hand, as if to touch him. It happened automatically, but Loki stopped her.

"Do not touch me!" he barked at her and her hand fell uselessly back down to her side. With great effort, he used his arms and legs to push the dead Frost Giant off him. The toll of him speaking made him cough and Jane saw to her horror that blood trickled out and down from his mouth. That could not be a good sign.

His brow furrowed deeper and Jane thought she could hear a low growl in his throat. He closed his eyes and his lips moved – it almost looked like he was praying – and the blue slowly faded back into his normal pallor. When he opened his eyes again, they were back to the usual green colour.

"I am going to need your help, Jane," he told her, gesturing to the spear piercing his body to the ground.

Jane whimpered. She could not phantom how to get through the next few minutes of their lives. _Surely he did not mean…?_

"I am going to lift myself up, and you will help me. Once I can sit, you will pull the spear through," he instructed as his breath calmed down. He sounded casual, almost bored.

"How can I possibly do that?" Jane shook her head, her voice pleading.

Loki looked at her, the expression in his eyes cold and focused. "You will do it because it needs to be done, and I can not do it myself."

Jane swallowed heavily, but nodded. With a grunt he forced himself upwards, using his hands in an unnatural angle to raise his weight enough that Jane could get her hands on the spear. Their combined strength worked to pull it loose. She tried to ignore the sound of pain that came from his clenched teeth. Still with the spear going through his chest, Loki scooted backwards until he was leaning sideways against the trunk of a tree. Jane moved closer to him, and put a trembling hand on his arm, seeking comfort as much as giving it.

"What happens after? What do I do if you faint or bleed out, or…?" she asked steadily. The rise of panic had long since subdued to the severity of the situation.

"I will _not_ faint," he snapped. "When it's done, I will heal myself the best I can and then we will get back to the palace and the healers."

_How?_ Jane thought, but she didn't dare to ask. She could only trust him and hope he was right.

"Kneel behind me, grab the handle just above the tip of the blade – and pull it toward you in a straight line when I tell you to," he ordered as he steadied himself to the tree with a firm grip. She did as he said, but faltered when he gave the word.

"I can't Loki, it'll…-" she started, but was interrupted.

"_Du gjer som eg seier!_" he shouted, and while she did not understand the words, the meaning was clear enough. Without further hesitation she pulled the spear as carefully and firmly as she could. She used one hand on his back to push for leverage. To his defense, he neither screamed nor fainted. When the spear finally went through his body, he slumped forward, clutching the wound with his hands while muttering something that made his clothes from the waist up melt away into nothing. The wound was awful, bleeding profusely. Loki continued to whisper, and she gasped when she saw the skin slowly, almost reluctantly knit itself together. _Healing magic_, Jane thought, holding her breath. She did not dare to speak in fear of interrupting him.

After a few minutes, he got to his knees. He had dark lines under his eyes and the skin of his face was slick with feverish sweat. He was breathing hard, as if he had been running a marathon.

"Loki?" she eventually said in a hoarse whisper. Twilight was creeping in on them, but Loki took his time and did not reply. After what seemed like hours but was probably not more than a few minutes, he exhaled slowly.

"Help me stand," he told her, his voice strained. Jane walked around to face him and offered him her good arm. He grabbed it by the elbow and hoisted himself up but as soon as he did, he nearly fell over her as his knees threatened to buckle.

"Easy, easy," Jane whispered, allowing him to support himself on her. Loki bent his head and rested his forehead at the base of her neck and shoulder. He was breathing heavily, each breath of air flowing down her chest, causing goose bumps to form on her skin. By instinct as much as practicality, her other hand curled itself around his neck. It was a strange embrace, formed by necessity. But it felt good to be able to help and comfort – it felt good to be able to help _him_.

His breathing slowed down as he adjusted to the taxation of being back on his feet. A warm feeling spread in her; it felt good to be close to someone, despite the circumstances_. Loki don't seem to mind either_, she thought. They clung to each other because there was nothing else to do; they were far from the city, with no means to get back since the horses had disappeared. It was dark now; she could barely see his face when he finally lifted his head to look at her. He looked weary, but he had something else entirely in his eyes that made Jane's breath hitch in her throat. If she didn't know better, she'd say it was the look of a man about to kiss a woman for the first time; a kind of fascinated uncertainty that made her heart beat a little faster. His eyelids fluttered and closed for a second before they opened again; his face set in a mask of assuredness.

"Reinforcement," he murmured just as Jane heard the faint sound of thunder above them.

She understood what he meant, and let out a sob of relief, still holding on to him as much as he to her.

* * *

In Norwegian:

_"Kjæraste – kom ut frå skuggane"_= Dearest – come out from the shadows  
_"Sonen min"_ = my son  
_"Du gjer som eg seier!"_ =You will do as I tell you!

**AN: **The description of the area around the Rainbow Cave is based on the Briksdal glacier (Jostedal Glacier National Park), which is close to the area in Norway I'm from. I'll post a picture of it on my tumblr account soon. Before anyone comments on it, I am aware that Jane already knows from Thor that Loki is a Jotne (Frost Giant) – but until now she has never actually seen him in Jotun form. And knowing theoretically is not the same as really _knowing_. So what did you think? Is Frigg still on top of things? Did you like the moment between Loki and Jane?  
**  
**


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